UN General Assembly Again Calls for Lifting US Embargo Against Cuba

November 06, 2017 in International

HAVANA, Cuba — Local tour guides look for customers in their convertible car near a cruise ship docked in Havana in June 2017. The lifting of the US embargo against Cuba should see more tourists visiting the cuntry.

UNITED NATIONS (CMC) – The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution underlining the need to end the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States against Cuba.

In the resolution, the Assembly reiterated its call to all UN Member States to “refrain from promulgating and applying laws and measures not conforming with their obligations under the UN Charter and international law, which reaffirm freedom of trade and navigation”.

The Assembly “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”, the resolution added.

The resolution enjoyed favourable votes from 191 of the 193 UN Member States. The United States and Israel opposed the text.

Last year, both countries, for the first time in the 25-year history of the annual review of the issue, abstained in the vote rather than rejecting the text.

Noting of the steps taken by the then Obama Administration towards modifying some aspects of the implementation of the embargo, the Assembly deemed such steps “positive, [but] still limited in scope”.