Cuba's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Juan Antonio Quintanilla, called Tuesday for the fight against politicization and selectivity and adherence to impartiality and universality to be prioritized in the area of human rights.
 
Speaking at the debates of the 51st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the diplomat welcomed the appointment of Volker Türk as the new High Commissioner, wished him success in his duties, and ratified the Caribbean island's willingness to cooperate and dialogue based on mutual respect.
 
"Cuba reiterates that in the work of the Office of the High Commissioner, impartiality and universality in the approach to human rights, as well as the fight against politicization and selectivity, must be a priority and a central objective," he stressed.
 
Quintanilla insisted on Cuba's concern about the bias of some special procedures and demanded better advice from the Office.
 
He also urged it to ensure respect, a balanced approach, objectivity, dialogue, and cooperation, "which are so lacking in the Council and, in general, in the human rights machinery."
 
According to the Cuban ambassador, a good sign in that direction would be to achieve a regional balance in the representation of the staff of the Office, based on public goals and deadlines for that purpose.
 
In his speech, Quintanilla rejected the issuance of a report against China, a text he described as illegitimate and the result of pressure from Western countries with obvious geopolitical objectives.
 
The island's representative also intervened in a photo interactive focused on Nicaragua this Tuesday. He ratified Cuba's unrestricted support to the Sandinista Front Government and the Nicaraguan people.
 
In this regard, he repudiated the continuity of hostile actions against Managua, including those carried out in the name of human rights and illegitimately employing human rights bodies and mechanisms.
 
We call on Nicaragua to continue to vigorously confront external interference, threats, destabilization actions, and unilateral coercive measures, he said at the 51st session of the Human Rights Council.