CubaMinrex. Sitio del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Cuba
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CREATION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL |
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Cuba Election to HRC Makes Impact World Media Highlight Cuba's Election to UN Human Rights Council Foreign Minister Highlights Cuban Victory at Human Rights Council Cuba Elected as Member of the Human Rights Council Cuba Wants Seat on UN Human Rights Council US Won't Seek Seat on New UN Human Rights Council Explanation of vote of the delegation of Cuba Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cuba Cuba denounces attempts to create Human Rights Council according to imperial interests |
Cuba Election to HRC Makes Impact Havana, May 11, 2006. (Prensa Latina) Cuba’s election by the UN General Assembly to the new UN Human Rights Council has had an extraordinary positive international effect, Cuban foreign diplomatic officials reported. During a Cuban TV broadcast, ambassadors of the Cuban mission to the UN in New York and Geneva, Rodrigo Malmierca and Juan Antonio Fernandez, respectively, emphasized the support received at the Cuban diplomatic victory. Both ambassadors expressed satisfaction for the examples of encouragement and gratitude shown to Cuba by the international community, which defeated US manipulations to impede it take a seat in that important UN body. That was a “Bay of Pigs” victory of Cuban foreign policy (referring to the defeated 1961 invasion of the Island), the official stated, which has prompted continuous calls from representatives of friendly African, Asian, Latin American, and even some western countries that recognize the importance of this triumph. From Geneva, Fernandez emphasized that Cuba won in the secret and free UN balloting, for its struggle and resistance, its over 15-year labor at the former Human Rights Commission and its firm dissent against the imperial order Washington is trying to impose. Cuba, stated the diplomat, will continue defending real principles that should concern this international organization building toward the aspiration of a different and better world, where human rights are respected, above all those of excluded Third World people.
World Media Highlight Cuba's Election to UN Human Rights Council Havana, May 10, 2006 (RHC-ACN)-- Cuba's election to the United Nation's Human Rights Council has received wide coverage in the international press. Despite the opposition of the United States and the European Union, the island's candidacy was supported by 135 votes -- over two-thirds of the UN General Assembly's member states. According to the Reuters news agency, Cuba is celebrating its new membership in the UN Human Rights Council as a victory in its 47-year struggle against U.S. aggressions. Venezuela's La Verdad newspaper stressed that Cuba received a high number of votes from the General Assembly member states. It also noted that other Latin American representatives will include Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay. Statements by Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque were published in Chile's La Nation online paper. Perez Roque called Cuba's election a very important political victory and an international acknowledgment of the island's tireless defense of human rights. The overwhelming success of Cuba within the international community was An AP news agency report published by the New Herald read: "After being elected as a member of the new UN Human Rights Council, the island stated it will continue representing the interests of Third World countries and defending just causes." The seats on the new council were distributed by geographical regions: thirteen for Africa, another thirteen for Asia, six for Eastern Europe, and eight for Latin America and the Caribbean. The remaining seven seats are to be shared among the 25 member states of the European Union, the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The countries elected to the council will serve for a three year term. After two consecutive terms, they can not present their candidacy for subsequent re-election. The first meeting of the new international body is scheduled to take place on June 19th. On March 15th, the General Assembly approved the creation of a new council
Foreign Minister Highlights Cuban Victory at Human Rights Council Havana, May 9, 2006. (Prensa Latina) Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque described the Island´s election to join the recently-created Human Rights Council as his country´s most important victory in foreign policy. Perez Roque, who is in Madrid in transit to Vienna to attend the European Union-Latin America summit, sent a telephone message to his Ministry´s workers, who assembled to celebrate Cuba´s election. The minister noted that the 135 votes that took Cuba to the Council are more than one third of the 191 member countries represented at the United Nations General Assembly. Perez Roque added that this success is even more transcendental, considering the US-sponsored campaign to prevent Cuba´s membership in the Council. Washington was backed up by the European Union despite public denials by that bloc. The Cuban minister said that the votes in favor of Cuba were mainly cast by Third World countries and other nations, which decided, in some cases, to even ignore the instructions they had received not to vote. The foreign minister pointed out that Cuba´s election is an acknowledgement of its permanent work in defense of human rights and true recognition of the Cuban revolution. On the other hand, he added, Washington was forced not to present its candidacy out of fear of not being elected, while it is accused of torturing prisoners at the illegal base in Guantanamo and in other secret prisons in Europe.
Cuba Elected as Member of the Human Rights Council United Nations, May 9, 2006. (Prensa Latina) Cuba was elected to join the Human Rights Council by 135 votes in the first round of voting within the General Assembly. By its membership, the Caribbean Island will thus fill one of eight seats reserved for Latin America and the Caribbean, along with Brazil (165), Argentina (158), Mexico (154), Peru (145), Guatemala (142), Uruguay (141) and Ecuador (128).
Human Rights Council Elected United Nations, May 9, 2006 (Prensa Latina) The UN General Assembly will select 47 new members of the new Human Rights Council, from among more than 60 candidates, to begin meeting in Geneva next month. Over the opposition of the United States, this mechanism was approved in March and the old Human Rights Commission closed, suffering a credibility crisis due to its selective and political manipulation by the powerful nation against those in development. Cuba, one of the candidates for the new Council, argues that it has fought to create this new mechanism and to see that “the pernicious practices of the Commission” do not become part ot the new Council. The seats on the Human Rights Council are to be distributed geographically, 13 to Africa, 13 to Asia, 6 for Eastern Europe, and 8 for Latin America and the Caribbean. Seven seats will be divided between the 25 members of the European Union, the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. The US is not up for consideration today as it has to respond to a human rights panel on accusations of torture in its war against terrorism. The Latin American and Caribbean candidates (8 seats) are Cuba, Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mwxico, Nicaragua, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. Council members will serve for three years, but only for two consecutive (elected) terms.
United Nations, May 5 (Prensa Latina) Cuba Friday defended its candidacy to the recently created United Nations Human Rights Council, claiming that it will contribute to improve the cooperation and understanding in the work of this international body. The Caribbean country assured that its experience will be focused on preventing confrontation and unfair condemnation of underdeveloped countries from moving into that new body. Cuba is among the 11 South American and Caribbean countries which have expressed their will to have one of the eight seats on the new UN Security Council. The list of candidates includes Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela. The elections for winning the 47 seats at the new UN body are scheduled for May 9, at the UN General Assembly.
US Won't Seek Seat on New UN Human Rights Council Washington, April 7, 2006. (RHC)-With its own human rights record under attack, the United States has announced that it will not stand for election for a seat on the new UN Human Rights Council. The United States was among only four countries of the 191 UN member nations, that rejected the formation of the new Council US legislators and human rights experts expressed outrage at the Bush Administration decision. Many believe that US abuses at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and treatment of anti-terror war detainees at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba, would have likely made it difficult if not impossible, for Washington to win election to the new Council. Khaleej Times Online reports that a US official told Reuters news agency that the "United States believes many good candidates have already put their names forward for the May 9 election and "we'll probably run for a seat later on." However, few have been convinced by the US claims. Rep. Tom Lantos of California, senior Democrat on the House of Representatives International Relations Committee, said the decision was a " profound signal of US isolation at a time when we need to work cooperatively with our Security Council partners,". The 191-member UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly on March 15 to create the new human rights body to replace the largely discredited UN Human Rights Commission. So far 35 nations have submitted their candidacies for seats that provide for three-year terms. The election is on May 9. Members of the council must be elected by an absolute majority of the 191 UN states or 96 members as compared to the former voting practice of regional slates. Any member can submit their candidacy. |
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