CubaMinrex. Sitio del Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de Cuba

Statement by representative of the Cuban delegation, Claudia Pérez Alvarez, on agenda item 64: Report of the Human Rights Council. 64 UNGA.

Third Committee. New York, 29 October 2009.

Mr. Chairman,

Three years have passed since the Human Rights Council began its works.

The Council resulted from the pressing need to face the deep discredit the Human Rights Commission was brought into, trapped in double standards, confrontation, and political manipulation imposed on its works by the United States and their allies.

The Human Rights Council emerged from intense and participatory debates and negotiations. Its representative character was guaranteed by a proper geographic distribution of the membership. The Council was duly subordinated to the very UN General Assembly. There is no risk of veto or impositions hindering its work.

The Council has showed solid democratic fundamentals in its working methods and in the arranging of its agenda. However, there are still significant challenges and threats to the environment of cooperation and genuine dialogue in the Council. We are concerned at the fact that it has not been possible to end all the country mandates established on discriminatory and selective basis characterizing the way item 9 was addressed in the Human Rights Commission.

Nonetheless, what cannot be rationally and objectively denied is the positive outcome of these three years of work in the Council. The process of institutional establishment of the body was concluded, which constituted a victory of the will of the majority over those who, until the last moment, tried to seize and block the process to serve their interests. It was particularly a triumph for the countries of the South, which actively contributed to the success achieved, and, with the support of many other countries, enabled the establishment in the General Assembly of the agreement reached here.

In its short existence, the Council has managed to strengthen effective practices for a truly universal scrutiny of the situation on human rights in the world, and an environment of respect and trust that is essential for its work.

The Universal Periodic Review, the newest and most distinctive mechanism of the Council, is fully operational and has gained experience from various cycles where 83 countries have been reviewed. To strengthen its functioning and to deepen the approach of cooperation and respectful dialogue prevailing in its works, constitute a collective duty and a priority for all.

The Council has also showed its capacity to address emergencies requiring the attention of the international community. It has often analyzed the serious human rights violations by Israel against the Palestinian people.

The holding of two special sessions to treat thematic issues is a milestone in the works of the Council. The first of them, initiated by Cuba on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, was a forum for discussing and suggesting solutions to the severe impact of the world food crisis on the realization of the human right to food.

The second one allowed the Council to take part in the global debate on the current economic and financial crisis, and specially to point out that any solution to this crisis must take into account the perspective of human rights. Such initiatives highlight the Council’s capacity to react in the face of emergencies that are neither subject to national borders nor stemming from internal conflicts or international disputes.

Mr. Chairman,

The international community expects us to face collectively and effectively all the crises currently affecting humankind, particularly the countries of the South.

We suggest those who criticize and attack the Council because they lost their questionable privileges, those who, with rhetoric of change, purport to restore old approaches of confrontation and selectivity, to reflect. We also call upon them to serenely and modestly join our efforts to achieve a world where all people have right to peace, justice, and development.

In moments when the world faces serious challenges- still of unpredictable scale- arisen from the profound economic, financial, energy, environmental, food, and social crisis affecting the planet, the right to international solidarity becomes a pressing demand, the fulfillment of which the Council must guarantee.

The Council must continue to raise its voice in favor of the right to development. The Official Development Assistance cannot be sacrificed with the pretext of the international economic crisis. It is already clear developed countries do have resources, which is proved by the zeal they mobilize considerable figures to bail out bankers and corporations which speculated and made a profit in financial markets as if they were in a casino in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, the number of hungry and poor people increases and it is evident the modest Millennium Goals will not be achieved.

As long as there is an unjust and exclusive international economic and political order, the Council shall continue to declare itself to be in favor of democratic and equitable international order.

As long as unilateral coercive measures are imposed and blockades, like the one Cuba has been suffering for 50 years, are maintained, the Council shall reject and demand the end of these practices.

As long as there is injustice and inequality in the world, the spiral of hunger gets to affect almost one billion human beings, over 800 million people cannot read and write, and more than 11 million children die before reaching the age of five, this Council has to work on addressing economic, social, and cultural rights with the same strength and conviction with which it addresses civil and political rights.

As long as the cultural heritage of peoples, the respect for diversity, and the access to culture by hundreds of millions of people are threatened, the Council shall support the recently established thematic procedure in favor of the realization of cultural rights.

We also reaffirm the importance that the Council’s special procedures respect the principles of objectivity, impartiality, and in general the Code of Conduct adopted during the institutional establishment process of the Council.

Furthermore, we are deeply concerned, and so are other delegations of countries of the South, over the lack of resources used to translate the outcome documents of the Universal Periodic Review, which must be solved as soon as possible.

Mr. Chairman,

Cuba submitted its report to the Universal Periodic Review mechanism this year. The positive results of this review constitute a significant recognition of the work of the Cuban Revolution in favor of human rights. It was an unquestionable and comprehensive recognition, as well as a clear incentive to the permanent effort of the Cuban nation in the promotion and protection of all human rights.

It has been demonstrated again that in an objective process of universal participation, the achievements of Cuba cannot be silenced. We welcome the expressions of solidarity and appreciation we have received, by committing ourselves to continuing to improve our work.

We reiterate our willingness to cooperate with this Council and the human rights machinery of the United Nations system and its institutions of universal and non-discriminatory application. We confirm our willingness to hold talks with all States, on the basis of mutual respect, the acceptance of sovereign equality, and the recognition of the right of each people to choose its political system and institutions.

Thank you.

(Cubaminrex- Embacuba ONU)