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UNCLAS STATE 110442 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: UNGA ETRD PHUM UN CU
SUBJECT: INSTRUCTIONS FOR CUBA EMBARGO RESOLUTION 
 
¶1. The Department instructs USUN to vote against the 
resolution, "Necessity of Ending the Economic, Commercial, 
and Financial Embargo Imposed by the United States of America 
against Cuba," scheduled for consideration by the UN General 
Assembly on Wednesday, October 28, 2009.  USUN should draw on 
the following points in making its intervention during the 
debate. 
 
¶2. Begin points: 
 
-- Madam Chair/Mr. Chairman, 
 
-- In the course of this debate, we will hear about division 
and differences. We must, however, not lose sight of one 
important commonality - the United States, like most Member 
States, is firmly committed to supporting the desire of the 
Cuban people to determine freely their country's future. 
 
-- The United States of America, like all Member States, has 
the sovereign right to conduct its economic relationship with 
another country as it sees fit.  The U.S. economic 
relationship with Cuba is a bilateral issue and part of a 
broader set of relations. For example, in recent months, the 
United States has undertaken several steps to promote family 
visits and the free flow of information to and from the Cuban 
people. The United States lifted restrictions on family 
visits and remittances and expanded the amounts of 
humanitarian items that the American people can donate to 
individuals in Cuba. The United States has enhanced the 
ability of U.S. telecommunication companies to pursue 
agreements to provide service to Cuba and has made it easier 
for U.S. agricultural producers to pursue contracts with 
Cuban buyers. 
 
-- We have done so while maintaining our firm commitment to 
encouraging the Cuban government to respect basic norms 
embodied in the Inter-American Democratic Charter and the 
Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 
 
-- Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms are part 
of this organization's core values. We should not lose sight 
of that in a debate mired in rhetorical arguments of the past 
and focused on tactical differences.  That is a debate that 
does nothing to help the Cuban people. 
 
-- Madam Chair/Mr. Chairman, 
 
-- I must address two significant distortions in the Cuban 
position. First, my delegation regrets that the delegation 
from Cuba continues to label inappropriately and incorrectly 
U.S. trade restrictions on Cuba as an act of genocide.  Such 
an egregious misuse of the term diminishes the real suffering 
of victims of genocide elsewhere in the world.  Secondly, it 
is erroneous to charge that U.S. sanctions are the cause of 
deprivation among the Cuban people.  The U.S. maintains no 
restriction on humanitarian aid to Cuba.  In fact, the United 
States is a major source of humanitarian assistance to the 
Cuban people and the largest provider of food to Cuba. 
 
-- In 2008, the United States exported $717.6 million in 
agricultural products, medical devices, medicine, wood, and 
humanitarian items to Cuba.  In agricultural products alone, 
the United States sold $700.1 million of goods to Cuba.  Once 
again, in 2008, the United States was Cuba's fifth largest 
trading partner. 
 
-- Madam Chair/Mr. Chairman, 
 
-- It is equally important to note that the United States has 
demonstrated that we are prepared to engage the Government of 
Cuba on issues that affect the security and well-being of 
both our peoples. Specifically, we have resumed bilateral 
discussions on migration, we have initiated talks to 
re-establish direct mail service  between the United States 
and Cuba, and we stand by to provide assistance should Cuba 
be ravaged again by hurricanes as it was in 2008.  We believe 
that any resolution commenting on the relationship between 
Cuba and the United States of America should reflect the 
current tenor of these constructive exchanges between our two 
countries.  Sadly, the resolution under discussion fails in 
that regard. 
 
-- As we have sought to advance toward a new era in relations 
with Cuba and reached out to the Cuban people, we have called 
upon the Cuban government to take steps to respond to the 
desire of its citizens to enjoy political, social, and 
economic freedom.  There are many things the Government of 
Cuba could do to signal its willingness to engage 
constructively with its own people and with the United 
States.  Positive measures could include liberating the 
hundreds of prisoners of conscience in Cuban jails, ratifying 
the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 
(ICCPR), reducing the excessive charges on remittances 
flowing into the country, demonstrating greater respect for 
freedom of speech, ending the practice of arresting political 
opponents on vague and arbitrary charges such as "social 
dangerousness," and permitting the visit of UN rapporteurs on 
human rights and torture. 
 
-- As other delegations consider this resolution, we hope 
that they will not be distracted from the fact that the Cuban 
government's airtight restrictions on 
internationally-recognized social, political, and economic 
freedoms are the true source of deprivation and obstacle to 
development in Cuba. 
 
-- Mr. Chairman/Madam Chair, 
 
-- My delegation will vote against this resolution.  The 
United States will continue to work to expand opportunities 
for the people in Cuba to empower themselves through access 
to information and resources.  We will also continue to 
engage the Government of Cuba on issues of mutual concern and 
national security.  We feel it is high time for this body to 
recognize the situation in Cuba for what it is and to abandon 
the rhetorical posturing of the past. 
 
-- Thank you, Madam Chair/Mr. Chairman. 
CLINTON