Caribbean & Central America - April 2005 (ISSN 1741-4458)
UN approves mild resolution on Cuba
It is that time of year again. On 14 April the UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) carried out the annual ritual of passing a resolution on Cuban human rights. This time, however, there were some subtle but significant differences. The resolution was presented, unusually, by the US, and member states of the European Union and supported by, among others, a handful of Latin American countries. The wording of the resolution was noticeably toned down in order to attract more support. It requested merely that the UN extend the mandate of its special rapporteur on Cuba's human rights, Christine Chanet, whose attempts to visit Cuba since she was appointed in 2003 have been thwarted by the government of President Fidel Castro. The resolution made no precise reference to human-rights violations and did not even ask Havana to receive Chanet. The vote was passed by 21 votes to 17 with 15 abstentions. In 2004 a tougher resolution censuring Cuba for human-rights violations narrowly passed with 22 votes in favour, 21 against and 10 abstentions.
It is that time of year again. On 14 April the UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) carried out the annual ritual of passing a resolution on Cuban human rights. This time, however, there were some subtle but significant differences. The resolution was presented, unusually, by the US, and member states of the European Union and supported by, among others, a handful of Latin American countries. The wording of the resolution was noticeably toned down in order to attract more support. It requested merely that the UN extend the mandate of its special rapporteur on Cuba's human rights, Christine Chanet, whose attempts to visit Cuba since she was appointed in 2003 have been thwarted by the government of President Fidel Castro. The resolution made no precise reference to human-rights violations and did not even ask Havana to receive Chanet. The vote was passed by 21 votes to 17 with 15 abstentions. In 2004 a tougher resolution censuring Cuba for human-rights violations narrowly passed with 22 votes in favour, 21 against and 10 abstentions.
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