Mr. Chairman;
We appreciate the presentation made by the High Commissioner and reiterate our support for her mandate; pursuant to General Assembly resolution 48/141.
We reaffirm that the promotion and protection of all human rights must be guided by the principles of impartiality, objectivity and non-selectivity, and the spirit of dialogue and cooperation. However, punitive approaches, selective practices and double standards continue to be advanced. The limited resources available to the Office should not be allocated to promote these practices
In March 2020, the High Commissioner called for the removal of the so-called "sanctions" within the context of the pandemic. Regrettably, unilateral coercive measures continue to be applied without scruples, bringing about a destructive impact.
In the case of Cuba, the United States has taken advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic in a premeditated manner so as to tighten the economic, commercial and financial blockade against my country in an unprecedented way. This policy contravenes the UN Charter and international law, violates the human rights of Cubans, and is the main hindrance to our development. It has also been a major obstacle to tackle the pandemic.
More than a year and a half after her appeal has been ignored, we would like to ask the High Commissioner her opinion regarding the impact unilateral coercive measures have had on the rights to food and health in the context of the pandemic, and on the ability of the impacted countries to access vaccines.
Thank you.