United Nations

A/60/783
Distr.: General 19 April 2006 English Original: Spanish

General Assembly

Sixtieth session Agenda item 112 (e) Elections to fill vacancies in subsidiary organs and other elections: election of 47 members of the Human Rights Council

Note verbale dated 4 April 2006 from the Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General
The Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations presents its compliments to the Office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and has the honour to inform it that the Government of the Republic of Cuba has decided to put forward its candidacy for membership in the Human Rights Council at the election to be held during the sixtieth session of the General Assembly, on 9 May 2006 in New York. To that end, the Permanent Mission of Cuba requests the Office of the Secretary-General to register its Government's candidacy for membership in the Council and attaches herewith a copy of an aide-memoire, circulated to all Permanent Missions, in support of its Government's desire to become a member of the Council. The Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations takes this opportunity to convey to the Office of the Secretary-General the renewed assurances of its highest consideration.

06-31593 (E) 250406 270406

*0631593*

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Annex to the note verbale dated 4 April 2006 from the Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General
The Government of the Republic of Cuba attaches the greatest importance to international cooperation for the promotion and protection of human rights within the United Nations framework and, to that end, aspires to become a founding member of the Human Rights Council. Cuba participated actively and constructively in the negotiation of the modalities that brought about the establishment of the Human Rights Council, presenting, at various stages of the process, proposals and contributions aimed at guaranteeing that the new body eradicate from its work the harmful practices of confrontation and political manipulation which brought discredit upon the Commission on Human Rights. Cuba also strove to ensure that consideration was given to the justified historical demands of the peoples of the South, and of most of the inhabitants of the planet, concerning issues such as the effective realization of the right to development, action to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and ensuring full respect for the principles of universality, indivisibility, objectivity and non-selectivity to strengthen cooperation and frank and genuine dialogue in human rights matters. Cuba reaffirms its readiness to continue working tirelessly to achieve the shared goal of enjoyment of all human rights by all individuals and peoples throughout the world, on the basis of respect for the Charter of the United Nations, the internationally agreed human rights instruments and the Vienna Declaration and Plan of Action. Our country had submitted its candidacy for re-election to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, for the period 2007-2009, at the election which was to take place during the organizational session of the Economic and Social Council in May of 2006. Cuba hopes that its membership in the most important specialized body of the United Nations in human rights matters will have a positive impact not only for its own people, but also for the rest of the international community. We will share our experiences; we will learn from all those who have good practices to convey and we will continue searching for effective responses to the shared aspirations of all the peoples of the world, in particular those of us who live in the southern part of the planet. The Cuban people have made significant progress towards the enjoyment of all human rights. Whether in the area of economic, social and cultural rights, civil and political rights, or in the achievement of the so-called third generation solidarity rights, the Cuban people can show the world, with deep humility yet with full satisfaction and pride, their remarkable achievements. Chief among them -- the most important attribute and right which the Cuban people have achieved -- is without any doubt the full exercise of its right to selfdetermination, despite the serious obstacles and threats it faces owing to the unilateral policy of hostility, aggression and embargo imposed on it by the superPower. Cuba's significant achievements in areas such as health care, education, scientific and technical research, culture and sport are internationally known. What

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is hidden or distorted, however, is the fact that all this was made possible precisely because the Cuban people are masters of their political fate and the country's resources, exercise full control over the country's life and participate actively in the effective system of democracy they designed and approved in a universal plebiscite. Many of the peoples of the world have first-hand knowledge of the noble ideals on which the Cuban people's international activity is based. Many of them have directly benefited from the Cuban people's selfless and ongoing commitment to furthering the human rights of everyone, everywhere in the world. Tens of thousands of Cubans shared in their African brothers' struggles against colonialism and apartheid. Today, 37,000 Cuban cooperation workers can be found in the remotest villages, mountain areas and other difficult-to-reach places in 108 nations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa and Asia, sharing with those peoples Cuba's achievements in areas like health care and education. Cuba has a long record of international human rights cooperation, and has demonstrated through specific action its unequivocal willingness to engage in frank and open dialogue. Cuba is a State party to 15 of the main international human rights instruments and a signatory to two more. Cuba was one of the first countries to be visited by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, barely a year after that post was established. It has also hosted visiting missions of several thematic procedures of the Commission, to which it systematically supplies all the information needed to meet their requests. Cuba fulfils its obligation to submit periodic reports to the international human rights treaty bodies. Next summer it will defend its report to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women. In putting forward its candidacy for membership in the Human Rights Council, Cuba hopes to contribute decisively to the consolidation of an approach of cooperation and understanding in the work of the United Nations human rights machinery. Its experience will serve to avoid the new body being tainted by the adverse practices of confrontation and unjust condemnation of the peoples of the South, on the basis of spurious motivations that are completely alien to the legitimate cause of defending human rights. Cuba confirms its will to promote, within the Council, its traditional initiatives on such vital issues as the right to food, the promotion of cultural rights and respect for cultural diversity and the promotion of peace as a vital requirement for the enjoyment of all human rights. Cuba will also continue working for the progressive development of third generation rights, in particular of international solidarity. Considering that it will assume the chair of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) next September, Cuba aspires to promote, from its seat on the Council, the fulfilment of the mandate it receives at the next summit meeting of the 114 countries that make up the Movement. Should it become a member of the Council, its capacity to present and promote effectively the traditional NAM initiatives in human rights matters, in particular the right to development, will be strengthened. If elected to the Human Rights Council, Cuba will work to uphold truth, justice, genuine dialogue and much-needed international cooperation to promote and protect all human rights for all peoples and individuals. The Government of Cuba would greatly appreciate the valuable support of your distinguished Government for its candidacy.

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