CUBANET ...DOCUMENTS

April 30, 2000



NU Resolution / Cuba / 2000

COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

Fifty-sixth session
Agenda item 9

Albania*, Australia*, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland*, Germany, Hungary*, Latvia, Nicaragua*, Poland, Sweden*, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and United States of America: draft resolution

Situation of human rights in Cuba The Commission on Human Rights, Recalling its resolution 1999/8 of 23 April 1999,

Reaffirming the obligation of all Member States to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms as stated in the Charter of the United Nations and in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

Mindful that Cuba is a party to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination,

Reasserting the Commission's obligation to promote and protect human rights on the basis of the universal nature of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, in all countries of the world, independently from other bilateral or regional issues affecting the country in question,

Recognizing the need to respect and guarantee civil and political rights and to strive to bring about full enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights,

Considering the urgent need to adopt the necessary measures to ensure full respect for human rights in Cuba and to contribute to developing a more pluralistic society and a more efficient economy, and considering also the willingness of the international community to assist therein,

Expressing its concern at the continued violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Cuba, such as freedom of expression, association and assembly and the rights associated with the administration of justice, despite the expectations raised by some positive steps taken by the Government of Cuba in the past few years,

1. Calls upon the Government of Cuba once again to ensure respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and to provide the appropriate framework to guarantee the rule of law through democratic institutions and the independence of the judicial system;

2. Calls upon the Government of Cuba to honour the commitment to democracy and respect for human rights it made at the Sixth Ibero-American Summit in Santiago in 1996, a commitment reiterated at the Ninth Ibero-American Summit in Havana in 1999 and an identical commitment made at the European Union-Latin America Summit which is contained in the Rio Declaration of 1999;

3. Expresses the hope that further positive steps will be taken with regard to all human rights and fundamental freedoms;

4. Notes certain measures taken by Cuba to enhance freedom of religion and calls upon the Cuban authorities to continue taking appropriate measures in this regard;

5. Calls upon the Government of Cuba to consider acceding to human rights instruments to which it is not yet a party, in particular the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights;

6. Expresses once again its concern about practical consequences of the adoption of the Law for the Protection of the National Independence and Economy of Cuba, and regrets the other steps taken by the Government of Cuba that are inconsistent with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other relevant human rights instruments;

7. Reiterates its concern about the continued repression of members of the political opposition and about the detention of dissidents, including the members of the Grupo de Trabajo de la Disidencia Interna, and calls upon the Government of Cuba to release all the persons detained or imprisoned for peacefully expressing their political, religious and social views and for exercising their rights to full and equal participation in public affairs;

8. Calls upon the Government of Cuba to open a dialogue with the political opposition, as already requested by several groups;

9. Invites the Government of Cuba to afford the country full and open contact with other countries, in order to ensure the enjoyment of all human rights for all Cuban people by utilizing international cooperation, by allowing a freer flow of people and ideas and by drawing on the experience and support of other nations;

10. Recommends in this context, that the Government of Cuba take advantage of the technical cooperation programmes of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights;

11. Calls upon the Government of Cuba also to cooperate with other mechanisms of the Commission, and notes the visits of the Special Rapporteur on violence against women and of the Special Rapporteur on the question of the use of mercenaries;

12. Calls upon the Government of Cuba to grant invitations to those thematic mechanisms of the Commission on Human Rights which have requested to visit Cuba, including the Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression and the Special Rapporteur on the question of torture;

13. Decides to consider this matter further at its fifty-seventh session under the same agenda item.

* In accordance with rule 69, paragraph 3, of the rules of procedure of the functional commissions of the Economic and Social Council.

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Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
Geneva, Switzerland

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