VZCZCXYZ0009
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0935/01 3041747
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 311747Z OCT 07
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2915
INFO RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 1701
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS 0326
RUEHUB/USINT HAVANA 0214
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000935 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD PHUM UN CU
SUBJECT: 62ND GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADOPTS CUBA EMBARGO 
RESOLUTION 
 
REF: SECSTATE 150043 
 
¶1.  (U) On October 30, 2007, the General Assembly (GA) 
adopted the Cuban-sponsored resolution on the U.S. embargo by 
a vote of 184-4, with one abstention.  The U.S. was joined by 
Israel, Palau, and the Marshall Islands in voting against it. 
 Micronesia abstained.  Albania, El Salvador, and Iraq were 
absent and did not vote.  Ambassador Ronald Godard delivered 
the U.S. Explanation of Vote and Right of Reply statements. 
All statements by Member States are available on 
www.un.org/webcast. 
 
¶2.  (U) Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque introduced 
the draft resolution, entitled "Necessity of Ending the 
Economic, Commercial, and Financial Embargo imposed by the 
United Sates of America against Cuba"  (full text in 
paragraph 5).  Cuba has tabled this resolution annually in 
the GA since 1992, and every year it has been passed by an 
overwhelming majority.  In his statement, Roque claimed that 
the embargo not only has caused Cuba to lose over $89 
billion, but also represents an "effrontery of International 
Law, (and) to the purposes and principles enshrined in the 
Charter of the United Nations." Roque highlighted the 
inability of Cuban children to receive medicines manufactured 
by U.S. companies and listed examples to demonstrate that 
this "extraterritorial enforcement of American laws" has 
prevented various third countries from trading with Cuba. 
Accusing the U.S. of adopting "new measures, bordering on 
madness and fanaticism," Roque responded directly to excerpts 
from President Bush,s October 24 statement.  After labeling 
the Bush administration a "criminal dictatorship" that is 
"fraudulently in power," FM Roque equated the "genocidal 
blockade" with an attempt to re-conquer Cuba by force.  Roque 
ended his speech by calling for the release of the "Five 
Cuban Heroes," who are currently incarcerated in the U.S. for 
espionage, and shouting "Viva Cuba Libre."  Both the Cuban 
statement and the subsequent vote tally were received with 
applause. 
 
¶3.  (U) Twenty-seven other delegations spoke in support of 
the resolution, including the Russian Federation, China, 
Pakistan on behalf of the G-77, Egypt on behalf of the 
Non-Aligned Movement, Bahamas on behalf of the Caribbean 
Community, Portugal on behalf of the EU, and Uruguay on 
behalf of MERCOSUR.  Common themes that emerged included 
opposition to unilaterally imposed measures and respect for 
international law, the UN Charter, and WTO regulations.  Many 
speakers also claimed that the embargo amounts to a violation 
of the principles of sovereign equality of States and 
non-intervention in domestic affairs.  Venezuela echoed FM 
Roque in labeling the embargo an act of genocide, while 
Zimbabwe, Sudan, and Iran sympathized with the Cuban 
government, which the Sudanese representative referred to as 
a fellow victim of U.S. "crimes against humanity." Nicaragua 
joined Cuba in calling for the closing of Guantanamo Bay and 
the release of the five incarcerated Cuban citizens. 
 
¶4.  (U) Australia and Portugal qualified their support of the 
resolution with condemnation of the Cuban regime,s human 
rights record.  Portugal, speaking on behalf of the EU, 
called on Cuba to release all political prisoners and 
acknowledged that "the United States trade policy towards 
Cuba is fundamentally a bilateral issue."  However, Portugal 
also urged the U.S. to implement the 18 May 1998 
Understanding, which commits the U.S. to "resist(ing) future 
extraterritorial legislation of this kind."  Australia 
underlined that holding political prisoners and failing to 
comply with international human rights standards "is not an 
internal matter." 
 
¶5.  (U) Begin text of General Assembly Resolution A/RES/62/3: 
 
The General Assembly, 
 
Determined to encourage strict compliance with the purposes 
and principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, 
 
Reaffirming, among other principles, the sovereign equality 
of States, non-intervention and non-interference in their 
internal affairs and freedom of international trade and 
navigation, which are also enshrined in many international 
legal instruments, 
 
Recalling the statements of the Heads of State or Government 
at the Ibero-American Summits concerning the need to 
eliminate unilateral application of economic and trade 
measures by one State against another that affect the free 
flow of international trade, 
 
 
Concerned at the continued promulgation and application by 
Member States of laws and regulations, such as that 
promulgated on 12 March 1996 known as the "Helms-Burton Act," 
the extraterritorial effects of which affect the sovereignty 
of other States, the legitimate interests of entities or 
persons under their jurisdiction and the freedom of trade and 
navigation, 
 
Taking note of declarations and resolutions of different 
intergovernmental forums, bodies, and Governments that 
express the rejection by the international community and 
public opinion of the promulgation and application of 
measures of the kind referred to above, 
 
Recalling its resolutions 47/19 of 24 November 1992, 48/16 of 
3 November 1993, 49/9 of 26 October 1994, 50/10 of 2 November 
1995, 51/17 of 12 November 1996, 52/10 of 5 November 1997, 
53/4 of 14 October 1998, 54/21 of 9 November 1999, 55/20 of 9 
November 2000, 56/9 of 27 November 2001, 57/11 of 12 November 
2002, 58/7 of 4 November 2003, 59/11 of 28 October 2004, 
60/12 of 8 November 2005, and 61/11 of 8 November 2006, 
 
Concerned that, since the adoption of its resolutions 47/19, 
48/16, 49/9, 50/10, 51/17, 52/10, 53/4, 54/21, 55/20, 56/9, 
57/11, 58/7, 59/11, 60/12, and 61/11, further measures of 
that nature aimed at strengthening and extending the 
economic, commercial and financial embargo against Cuba 
continue to be promulgated and applied, and concerned also at 
the adverse effects of such measures on the Cuban people and 
on Cuban nationals living in other countries, 
 
¶1.  Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General on the 
implementation of resolution 61/11; 
 
¶2.  Reiterates its call upon all States to refrain from 
promulgating and applying laws and measures of the kind 
referred to in the preamble to the present resolution, in 
conformity with their obligations under the Charter of the 
United Nations and international law, which, inter alia, 
reaffirm the freedom of trade and navigation; 
 
¶3.  Once again urges States that have and continue to apply 
such laws and measures to take the necessary steps to repeal 
or invalidate them as soon as possible in accordance with 
their legal regime; 
 
¶4.  Requests the Secretary-General, in consultation with the 
appropriate organs and agencies of the United Nations system, 
to prepare a report on the implementation of the present 
resolution in the light of the purposes and principles of the 
Charter and international law and to submit it to the General 
Assembly at its sixty-third session; 
 
¶5.  Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its 
sixty-third session the item entitled "Necessity of ending 
the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the 
United States of America against Cuba." 
 
End Text 
Khalilzad