PRESENTATION OF CUBA’S REPORT on UN General Assembly Resolution 65/6: “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba.”

 For the 20th consecutive time, on Tuesday October 25, Cuba will present the draft resolution entitled “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba” to the UN General Assembly.  In 2010, 187 countries voted in favor of the resolution and only 2 voted against: the US and Israel. VOTING ON THE CUBAN RESOLUTION AGAINST THE EMBARGO

REPORT ON THE EMBARGO BY THE UN SECRETARY GENERAL New record of statements received in 2011: 142 from member states, 26 from UN agencies, funds and programs. This represents 8 more statements than in Nine countries are submitting statements for the first time.

Economic damages in the amount of 975 billion dollars given the international depreciation of the dollar in terms of gold prices between 1961 and ECONOMIC IMPACT ON CUBA CAUSED BY THE EMBARGO UP UNTIL DECEMBER 2010

EMBARGO VS INTERNATIONAL LAW It violates international law, the UN Charter and the norms of international commerce. It is an act of genocide according to section c) of Art. II of the Geneva Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. It is a massive, flagrant and systematic violation of the human rights of an entire people.

EMBARGO VS INTERNATIONAL LAW Moreover, it infringes on the sovereign rights of many other states. It also violates the constitutional rights of the US people. It is the principal obstacle to development in Cuba.

THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION: CONTINUITY OF THE POLICY OF EMBARGO Its bases remain intact. The export of all kinds of goods and services from Cuba is still prohibited. Sanctions have been increased, along with harassment of financial transactions with third parties and the principle of extra-territoriality.

THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION: CONTINUITY OF THE POLICY OF EMBARGO Authorization for some categories of travel, remittances and permission for additional airports to operate charter flights to Cuba are insufficient and have a limited scope. Travel of US citizens to Cuba is still prohibited.

HARRASSMENT, MILLION DOLLAR SANCTIONS AND THE EXTRATERRITORIAL APPLICATION OF THE EMBARGO In 2010, the Treasury Dept’s OFAC fined four entities for a total of 502,721,671 dollars, the greatest of which (500 million) was levied against the ABN Amor Bank of Holland. In July 2010, the UN Federal Credit Union was fined 500,000 dollars. In August 2010, British Barclays Bank agreed to pay 298 million dollars.

HARRASSMENT, MILLION DOLLAR SANCTIONS AND THE EXTRA- TERRITORIAL APPLICATION OF THE EMBARGO In July 2011, the US started criminal investigations of the ING Bank of Holland. On August 18, 2011, a fine of 374,400 dollars was levied against a subsidiary of the French shipping company CMA CGM for services to Cuba. On August 26, the JP Morgan Chase Bank confirmed that it paid a fine of 88,300,000 dollars for violating the embargo of Cuba and restrictions against other countries.

IMPACT OF THE EMBARGO ON MULTILATERAL COOPERATION January of 2011: The US confiscated 4,207,000 dollars from the World Fund destined for the fight against AIDS, TB and malaria via cooperation projects with Cuba. The funds were frozen until May when a general permit was issued that will expire June 30, 2015.

IMPACT OF THE EMBARGO ON CHILD HEALTH Oncopediatric services at the Institute of Oncology and Radiobiology has not been able to provide conservative or functional treatments to children and young people suffering from malignant bone tumors. Reason: extendible prostheses used to replace bone parts in tumor surgery are sold by US companies that are prohibited from conducting business with Cuba.

IMPACT OF THE EMBARGO ON AID TO HAITI AND CUBAN EXPORTS TO THIRD COUNTRIES In April 2011, the Pay Pal eBay company, which conducts bank transfers via the Internet, cancelled funds sent to the Cuba Support Group in Ireland to the Cuban account destined to collect donations for Haiti after the earthquake that devastated that country. In July, Pay Pal closed the accounts of more than ten German businesses selling Cuban products via the Internet, citing the embargo.

CONCLUSIONS The US continues to maintain its conditions and interfere while presenting unacceptable demands as a condition for a change of policy. The embargo is a unilateral and immoral policy, increasingly rejected both in the US and, almost unanimously, by the international community. Therefore the US must unilaterally lift it, without delay.

Once again, Cuba is asking for the support of the international community for the draft resolution that will be presented to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, October 25 that demands the unconditional and immediate lifting of the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the Government of the United States.