This Thursday, December 4, on the occasion of the first celebration of the International Day against Unilateral Coercive Measures, promoted by the United Nations (UN) to raise global awareness of their negative impacts, the representative of Cuba delivered one of the most forceful interventions of the day, denouncing before the General Assembly that these sanctions imposed without the endorsement of the Security Council constitute “instruments of political punishment that harm entire populations with the same aggression as any “A form of direct violence.”
The Cuban representative emphasized that the unilateral coercive measures, presented by the United States as supposed tools of “diplomatic pressure,” are in reality illegal mechanisms, contrary to International Law and the Charter of the United Nations. He also noted that these practices currently affect more than 76 developing countries, which is equivalent to more than a third of the world’s population.
Cuba warned that between March 2024 and February 2025, the effects of these sanctions caused damages estimated at more than $7.5 billion, resulting in limitations on acquiring food, fuel, medicine, medical supplies, and basic goods for daily life. “The humanitarian impact is real, palpable, and devastating,” the delegation stressed.
Thursday marks the first International Day Against Unilateral Coercive Measures.
The Cuban statement was especially critical of the expansive use of these measures by the United States government. Cuba denounced Washington’s attempt to establish itself as the arbiter of who lives, who produces, who trades, and who develops, imposing economic sanctions without legal justification and without being accountable to any multilateral organization.
“The world cannot accept,” the Cuban delegation stated, “that a single state, however powerful, should place itself above international law. No country has the authority to punish the rest of the planet.” “We do not accept this claim to power.”
Dialogue and respect are essential for stable international relations.
The delegation from Havana supported the appointment of the Special Adviser on Unilateral Coercive Measures, considering this mechanism an essential tool for documenting the humanitarian and legal impact of sanctions. Cuba also reiterated its solidarity with all peoples who are victims of these policies and demanded their immediate, total, and unconditional lifting.
Cuba concluded its statement by noting that the General Assembly has the historic responsibility to prevent unilateral sanctions from becoming normalized as a weapon of geopolitical pressure. “To truly fulfill our promise to leave no one behind, we must eliminate these inhumane measures.”
IMAGE CREDIT: The Cuban representative stressed that the unilateral coercive measures, presented by the United States as supposed tools of “diplomatic pressure,” are in reality illegal mechanisms, contrary to International Law and the Charter of the United Nations. Photo: United Nations
[ SOURCE: AGENCIA CUBANA DE NOTICIAS ]
