Appeal of the State Duma on the need to end the blockade of Cuba by the United States of America

”The State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation hereby appeals to all participants of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, parliaments of the United Nations member states, and international parliamentary organisations with this call for an immediate and complete end to the economic, trade and financial blockade of the Republic of Cuba put in place by the leadership of the United States of America that has become a tool for inflicting multifaceted pressure and hardship on the Cuban people.

The State Duma reaffirms the firm and unchanging position set out in documents adopted in previous years regarding the need to end Washington's policy of pressure, coercion and intimidation against Havana.

The State Duma expresses its strong condemnation of the gross violation by the United States of America of the fundamental principles of international law that is clearly manifested in its systematic attempts to intimidate the Republic of Cuba, as well as numerous inhumane actions to deprive the Cuban people of the material resources necessary for decent living.

Today, as a result of the economic, trade and financial blockade put in place by the United States of America, the Republic of Cuba is undergoing a difficult economic and humanitarian situation that is being aggravated by the consequences of multiple natural and man-made disasters.

The illegal actions of the United States authorities against the people of the Republic of Cuba continue to have a negative impact on the latter’s well-being, jeopardise the right to a dignified and decent existence for millions of Cubans, endanger their health, cause mental and physical suffering, and heavily limit their access vital medical care. The inhumane act of artificially provoking a humanitarian crisis through this blockade has created conditions for the exacerbation of the number of premature deaths and a decrease in the birth rate.

The sanctions implemented by the United States of America against the Republic of Cuba are extraterritorial in nature and directly hinder the fostering of equal and mutually-beneficial relations with Cuba by a number of countries and international organisations, including as relating to energy, agriculture, healthcare, tourism and humanitarian cooperation.

The State Duma emphasises that, over the many years of economic, trade and financial blockade by the United States of America, the people of the Republic of Cuba remain steadfast in their determination to firmly defend their sovereignty and social gains. The willingness of Cubans to continue confidently following the path of defending their national independence and sovereignty renders the blockade meaningless and condemns it to inevitable failure.

The policy of unilateral sanctions has proved to be completely ineffective. The practice of applying unilateral sanctions has proved to be wholly unable to restrain the peoples' genuine desire for freedom and independence. Such a policy only prolongs and multiplies the mental and physical suffering of the people while creating precedents of unacceptable pressure, intimidation and blackmail. This assessment applies to all regions of the world and fully applies particularly to the situation as relating to the Republic of Cuba.

The State Duma of the Federal Assembly of the Russian Federation appeals to the United Nations General Assembly, parliaments of the United Nations member states, and international parliamentary organisations with this call to condemn the illegal economic, trade and financial blockade of the Republic of Cuba by the United States of America, to develop and implement practical measures to encourage Washington to put an end to this long-standing blockade of Cuba, to put an end to the unjustified pressure against the Cuban people, and to guarantee respect for the universally recognised principles and norms of international law“.