Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
04TEGUCIGALPA766
2004-04-01 23:38:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Tegucigalpa
Cable title:  

TEXT OF HONDURAN PRESS RELEASE ON UNCHR CUBA

Tags:  PHUM PREL PINR KDEM CU HO CHR 
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEGUCIGALPA 000766 

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA, WHA/CCA, WHA/CEN, AND WHA/PPC
STATE FOR DRL, DRL/MLA, IO, AND INR/AN/IAA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL PINR KDEM CU HO CHR
SUBJECT: TEXT OF HONDURAN PRESS RELEASE ON UNCHR CUBA
RESOLUTION

REF: (A) Tegucigalpa 759

(B) State 65652

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TEGUCIGALPA 000766

SIPDIS

STATE FOR WHA, WHA/CCA, WHA/CEN, AND WHA/PPC
STATE FOR DRL, DRL/MLA, IO, AND INR/AN/IAA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL PINR KDEM CU HO CHR
SUBJECT: TEXT OF HONDURAN PRESS RELEASE ON UNCHR CUBA
RESOLUTION

REF: (A) Tegucigalpa 759

(B) State 65652


1. Below is Embassy's unofficial translation of the Honduran
Ministry of Foreign Affairs press release on the UNCHR Cuba
resolution, issued at 12:00 p.m. E.S.T. on April 1.


2. Begin text:

Ministry of Foreign Relations
Republic of Honduras

Press Communique No. 5

The Ministry of Foreign Relations, hereby informs the
following to national and international opinion, on its
position as a member in the context of the United Nations
Commission on Human Rights:


1. The actions of Honduras in the Human Rights Commission
are based, and will always be based, rigorously in
International Law, divested of ideological prejudice or
political interests;


2. Cuba is a friendly country and Honduras maintains normal
diplomatic relations with it as well as a high level of
cooperation;


3. In this sense, Honduras, in exercising its sovereignty,
has submitted to the mandatory control and jurisdiction of
jurisdictional instances that monitor compliance with Human
Rights, just as all Nations without exception should commit
to; Honduras responds in total sovereignty as it pronounces
itself with respect to these matters, within the framework of
the United Nations Charter, being a fundamental aspect of the
Charter in addition to the principle of Nations' sovereign
equality and the obligation of not threatening or using force
in order to damage the sovereignty and territorial integrity
of other Nations;


4. Taking into account all of the above, the Government of
Honduras has submitted to the consideration of the Human
Rights Commission the following draft resolution which has as
its' fundamental objective, the authorization on the part of
the Cuban Government for a Representative of the United
Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to carry out her
mandate in Cuba:

"The Commission on Human Rights,

Taking into consideration its resolution 2003/12 of April 17,
2003,

Considering that in the aforementioned resolution the
Commission urged the Government of Cuba to receive the
Personal Representative of the High Commissioner of the United
Nations for Human Rights and to afford all the necessary
facilities so that she can fulfill the mandate established in
the resolution 2002/18 of April 19, 2002,

Conscious that compliance with human rights and fundamental
liberties is an obligation inherent to all States in the
framework of the purposes and principles of the Charter of the
United Nations,


1. Expresses that the Government of Cuba like all other
sovereign States, independent of the prevailing exceptional
international circumstances which have obliged many States to
intensify security measures, should avoid the adoption of
measures which could threaten fundamental rights, freedom of
expression and the right to due process of its citizens. In
this regard, laments the actions which occurred last year in
Cuba in respect to sentencing of political dissidents and
journalists, as has been reported by the international news
media.


2. Expresses its hopes that the Government of Cuba will
continue making an effort to strengthen religious freedom and
that it will put into place measures with the objective of
facilitating the transition toward the establishment of a
fruitful dialogue with all the currents of thought and
organized political groups in its society, despite the
precarious international environment, with the objective of
promoting the full development of democratic institutions and
civil liberties.


3. Urges the Government of Cuba to cooperate, within the
full exercise of its sovereignty, with the Representative of
the High Commissioner for Human Rights, facilitating the
fulfillment of her mandate, as other sovereign States must do
in compliance with the purposes and principles which govern
the Charter of the United Nations.

4. Decides to give further consideration to this subject in
the Sixty-first session, under the same agenda item."
Tegucigalpa M.D.C., April 1, 2004
Directorate of Institutional Communication


3. End text.

Palmer