United Nations A/71/ PV.32 General Assembly Official Records Seventy-first session 32nd plenary meeting Wednesday, 26 October 2016, 10 a.m. New York President: Mr. Thomson ......................................... (Fiji) The meeting was called to order at 10.05 a.m. The African Group calls for those ground-breaking positive steps to go further in lifting the economic Agenda item 39 embargo, which continues to inflict economic hardship on the poor and innocent population of Cuba, and Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and most certainly makes the achievement of sustainable financial embargo imposed by the United States of development even more elusive, thereby undermining America against Cuba our collective efforts towards a universal push to Report of the Secretary-General (A/71/91) drive the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Draft resolution (A/71/L.3) Accordingly, the Group of African States reaffirms Mr. Wafy (Niger): I have the honour to speak on its full support for the General Assembly resolution behalf of the Group of African States on a matter of great on the necessity of ending the economic, financial and importance to the Group, and Africa in general, namely, commercial embargo imposed by the United States of the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and America against Cuba. The Group of African States financial embargo imposed by the United States of further reiterates the call made by the African Union America against Cuba. Assembly of Heads of State and Government and the overwhelming call from States Members of the United For more than two decades, this matter has been Nations, for the lifting of the long-standing and unjust brought before the General Assembly against the economic, commercial and financial blockade on Cuba. background of overwhelming yet unheeded appeals for the immediate end to the long-standing economic Mr. Plasai (Thailand): I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Group of 77 and China on agenda embargo against Cuba. Today those appeals have taken item 39, entitled “Necessity of ending the economic, on a new dimension and more compelling justification, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the given the positive developments and progress made United States of America against Cuba”. in relations between the Governments of Cuba and the United States of America. The new dimension has I would like to thank the Secretary-General for been occasioned by the re-establishment of diplomatic his comprehensive report (A/71/91) on the item we are relations, the historic visit by President Barack Obama discussing today. to Cuba in March — apparently the first visit by an The Group of 77 and China would like, first of American President to that country since 1928 — and all, to sincerely welcome the re-establishment of the resumption of commercial airline service between diplomatic relations between the Government of Cuba the two countries in August. and the Government of the United States of America. This record contains the text of speeches delivered in English and of the translation of speeches delivered in other languages. Corrections should be submitted to the original languages only. They should be incorporated in a copy of the record and sent under the signature of a member of the delegation concerned to the Chief of the Verbatim Reporting Service, room U-0506 ([email protected]). Corrected records will be reissued electronically on the Official Document System of the United Nations (http://documents.un.org). 16-34312 (E) *1634312* A /71/PV. 32 26/10/2016 The Group also welcomes steps taken towards the be unfairly undermined, and it will be impossible for elimination of the United States embargo against Cuba, Cuba to successfully embark upon the path towards which include, among others, the reopening of their sustainable development envisaged in the 2030 Agenda respective embassies in 2015, President Obama’s visit to for Sustainable Development, for which all Member Cuba in March and the amendments made in 2015 and States have pledged support. 2016 by the United States Department of the Treasury Over many decades, Cuba has extensively and and the United States Department of Commerce. continuously contributed to the international community, While those are positive steps, they remain particularly through its remarkable provision of inadequate to effectively end the impact of the embargo. medical assistance to countries in need. Cuba’s Much more remains to be done, especially action by emergency assistance to the African countries affected the United States Congress with regard to legislative by the Ebola crisis in West Africa is a great example bills proposing the lifting of blockade sanctions. The of its solidarity with the international community. Group also believes that the future President of the The Group of 77 and China hereby commend Cuba’s United States can and should exercise more of his contributions in the form of humanitarian assistance or her executive powers to further modify blockade and would like to express our hope that, if the United regulations in the light of the continued disinclination States embargo were permanently lifted, Cuba would on the part of the United States Congress to end those be granted the opportunity that it has long deserved punitive measures, which are essentially in violation of to fully cooperate with the global community and the purposes and principles enshrined in the Charter of international organizations on health, the environment the United Nations. and agriculture, among other important issues. The Group of 77 and China would like to reiterate The Group of 77 and China would like to reiterate our commitment to the principles, purposes and spirit our strong support for the implementation of the of the Charter of the United Nations, in particular recommendations of resolution 70/5 and our call for an the principles of the sovereign equality of States, end to the economic, commercial and financial embargo non-intervention and non-interference in their internal by the United States against Cuba. The urgency and affairs, as well as the freedom of international trade necessity of our call is further highlighted by the and navigation. The Group believes that it is the duty ongoing global and collective striving to implement the and responsibility of every Member State to comply 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The Group strictly with those principles. The Group is of the of 77 and China would therefore like to appeal to the view that any policy or action that disregards those international community to further step up efforts in principles — in this case the unilateral economic support of the lifting of the embargo, not solely for the sanctions against Cuba — should be seriously considered benefit of Cuba, but also for the full achievement of the for immediate repeal. Given that the United States economic and social development of all members of the embargo against Cuba has continued for more than 50 global community as a whole. years, the Group of 77 and China would like to express Mr. Rattray (Jamaica): It a great privilege for its deep concern about the prolonged negative effects me to address the General Assembly on behalf of that the economic sanctions and travel restrictions have the 14 member States of the Caribbean Community had on Cuba and its people. (CARICOM). From April 2015 to April 2016, the impact of CARICOM aligns itself with the statement made the United States embargo on Cuba’s foreign trade by the representative of the Kingdom of Thailand on amounted to more than $4 billion. Limited foreign behalf of the Group of 77 and China, and with the investment and difficult access to development statement to be delivered by the representative of the assistance have translated directly into economic Dominican Republic on behalf of Community of Latin hardship and humanitarian impacts for the people of American and Caribbean States. Cuba. The country’s socioeconomic reforms have also been hampered by the embargo. The Group of For far too many years, the United States 77 and China are concerned that, if those economic has maintained a commercial embargo on Cuba, sanctions continue, Cuba’s development potential, in through various laws, regulations and presidential both economic and human-development terms, will proclamations. That pernicious embargo has restricted 2/27 16-34312 26/10/2016 A /71/PV. 32 the ability of a proud, honourable, independent, countries to continue to explore ways to increase the talented and self-reliant people to conduct legitimate type of cooperation that was evident during the Ebola trade, travel and to undertake financial transactions. crisis in West Africa. The renewal of relations between The stated purpose of that all-encompassing economic, those two neighbours signals a new era of engagement commercial and financial blockade was to bring about for both countries. CARICOM sees those developments political change. However, all these years later, we see as important first steps in our hemisphere’s journey that the intended outcome has failed to materialize, towards a destination that is enveloped in an and the sole result is the undue hardship that has environment of lasting peace and security, one where been caused to the population of Cuba. We fully development can flourish. agree with President Obama’s characterization of the embargo as an outdated burden on the Cuban people, CARICOM will once again unreservedly support and we appreciate his acknowledgment that what the the draft resolution on the necessity of ending the United States was doing was not working. Regrettably, economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed however, his call upon his own Congress to lift the by the United States of America against Cuba. It is our embargo has fallen on deaf ears. hope that this will be the final time that the Assembly will have to consider this agenda item.