← Votes

A/RES/54/21 GA

Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba

54
Session
155
Yes
2
No
8
Abstentions
Draft symbol A/54/L.11
Adopted symbol A/RES/54/21
Category GEOGRAPHICAL DESCRIPTORS
Voeten Topics
Significance ★ Important vote US State Dept designation
P5 Positions
Russia United States United Kingdom China France
UN Document A/RES/54/21 ↗

Vote Recorded VoteA/54/PV.50 Nov. 9, 1999

— Abstain (8)
✗ No (2)
Absent (23)
✓ Yes (155)
Speeches following this vote (8) may include explanations of vote
The President
I shall now call on those representatives who wish to speak in explanation of vote on the resolution just adopted. May I remind delegations
Mr. Yoshikawa (Japan)
Japan shares the concern expressed by many delegations today regarding the problem of extraterritorial application of jurisdiction, such as that arising from the Helms-Burton Act of the United States. My Government has been closely following the implementation of the legislation and the circumstances surrounding it, and Japan's concerns remain unchanged. Thus, having considered the matter with ut…
Mr. Duval (Canada)
Canada shares with the United States the goal of encouraging democracy and liberalization in Cuba. However, we have been seeking this goal through different means. The Government of Canada continues to believe that a policy of constructive engagement has much more chance of having a beneficial effect on Cuba in the long run. Canada is fundamentally opposed to the economic embargo, and we voted i…
Mr. Suh (Republic of Korea)
My delegation shares the concern already expressed by other delegations about the problem of the extraterritorial application of jurisdiction embodied in the so-called Helms-Burton Act. Such legislation has far-reaching implications for the norms and general principles of international law. Having considered this matter for several years, the Government of the Republic of Korea decided to vote i…
Mr. Pérez-Otermin (Uruguay)
The Uruguayan delegation would like to explain its vote on the resolution just adopted by the General Assembly, entitled “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba”. The Uruguayan delegation voted in favour of this resolution on the basis of one of the essential and traditional principles of its foreign policy — promot…
Mr. Brattskar (Norway)
The Norwegian Government believes there is a clear distinction between unilateral measures and sanctions adopted by the international community through the United Nations. Only sanctions adopted by the international community through relevant and representative organizations have the necessary legitimacy, and no country should impose its legislation on third countries. Therefore, Norway again th…
Mr. Blumenthal (Australia)
Australia voted in favour of resolution 54/21. While Australia shares concerns about the state of human rights and political freedoms in Cuba, we do not consider that isolating Cuba through economic sanctions is an effective means of achieving human rights and political reform. Australia has consistently expressed its opposition, as a matter of principle, to the promulgation and application by St…
The President
May I take it that it is the wish of the Assembly to conclude its consideration of agenda item 22?
Full text of resolution OCR extract — may contain errors
99-77545 /... UNITED A NATIONS General Assembly Distr. GENERAL A/RES/54/21 18 November 1999 Fifty-fourth session Agenda item 33 RESOLUTION ADOPTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY [without reference to a Main Committee (A/54/L.11)] 54/21. Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba 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 the unilateral application of economic and trade measures by one State against another that affect the free flow of international trade, Concerned about 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 regulations of the kind referred to above, A/RES/54/21 Page 2 1 A/54/259. 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 and 53/4 of 4 October 1998, Concerned that, since the adoption of its resolutions 47/19, 48/16, 49/9, 50/10, 51/17, 52/10 and 53/4, 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 about 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 53/4;1 2. Reiterates its call on 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 fifty-fifth session; 5. Decides to include in the provisional agenda of its fifty-fifth session the item entitled “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba”. 50th plenary meeting 9 November 1999
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UN Project. “A/RES/54/21.” UN Project, https://un-project.org/votes/resolution/A-RES-54-21/. Accessed .