5th Meeting - 63rd Session of Human Rights Council

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Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, I hereby declare open the fifth meeting of the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council. Excellencies, dear participants, we shall now continue the interactive dialogue with the independent expert on the promotion of a democratic and equitable international order. According to our practice, we start by hearing the delegation of the country concerned by the report. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Iceland. You have five minutes.

Thank you, Mr. President.

On the occasion, we have not prepared the specific remark, but thank you so much.

Thank you. I now invite interested delegations to ask questions to the independent expert and to make comments on his reports. The speaking time is one minute, 30 seconds for all. So now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Venezuela on behalf of a group of countries.

Gracias. Thank you, Vice President. We make this statement on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defense of the UN Charter. The group reaffirms its unbreakable commitment to the safeguard and the full observance of the principles and purposes enshrined in the UN Charter. These are the foundation of a democratic, equitable international order based on, among other things, sovereign equality among states, non-intervention in internal matters, and the right for all people to self-determination, sovereignty, and permanent sovereignty over their wealth, natural resources, and the maintenance of peace. We believe that the building of a more fair and equitable international order requires that we strengthen genuine multilateralism. This must be based on respect for international law, dialogue, cooperation, and the participation of all states on equal footing. In this context, we would like to express our firm opposition to all unilateral practice that is incompatible with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, particularly when they undermine the sovereign equality of states, become a hindrance to the rights of their to development and affect the enjoyment of human rights of their people. We affirm also that promotion and protection of human rights should also contribute to the building of this international order based on the principles of universality, impartiality, objectivity, non-selectivity, and through dialogue and cooperation. This must avoid politicization or instrumentalization as a means of pressure against sovereign states. Thank you very much.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Kenya on behalf of the Group of African States.

Mr. President, I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the African Group. The African Group takes note of the report of the independent expert and shares the assessment that evolving international landscape presents both opportunities and challenges for multilateral cooperation and the realization of human rights and development. For Africa, a more multipolar and polycentric international order should be anchored in the Charter of the United Nations, sovereign equality, noninterference, peaceful settlement of disputes, and respect for international law. Multipolarity should not lead to further fragmentation. or competing spheres of influence, but should strengthen inclusive, representative and effective multilateralism. We underscore the importance of addressing structural inequalities in global governance, including through meaningful reform of the international financial architecture and greater representation of developing countries in global decision making. The African Group further recognizes the value of South-South and triangular cooperation in advancing development, technology transfer, capacity building and national ownership consistent with national priorities. We encourage the promotion of what the report describes as embedded multipolarity through inclusive cooperation and mutually beneficial partnerships, while ensuring that any new mechanism remains voluntary, transparent, and supportive of national ownership. In closing, the African group remains committed to constructive multilateral engagement to advancing international order that is more equitable, representative, peaceful, and responsive to the priorities and aspirations of developing countries. I thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Cuba.

Vice President, we thank the expert for the valuable report. We hail the fact that it has represented the threats against Cuba and the imposition of unilateral coercive measures against our country as an example of the growing trend of the United States to rework the international order through the use of brute force. As indicated in the report, Cuba suffers for more than six decades from an economic blockade, the most long-lasting and exhaustive in modern history. The expert also alerts to the fact that this blockade has been increased to unprecedented levels in recent months. This includes a brutal energy blockade. The humanitarian consequences are tangible and serious. We appreciate the valuable recommendations from the expert when it comes to strengthening multilateralism. Multilateral diplomacy does not merely continue to be viable, but really also essential. Multipolarity, when firmly based in the principles and right, is an opportunity to bring about a more inclusive global governance that is more inclusive and more balanced. Cuba supports the proposal from the expert to initiate consultations to create global index for normative compliance. This would be a practical and voluntary instrument. This would allow for multipolarity to be incorporated into the U.N. system. Thank you, Vice President.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Angola.

Mr. President, Angola aligns itself to the statement of the African Group. Angola thanks the independent expert for his report and welcomes his contribution to the debate on building a more democratic and equitable international order. We share the concern that the growing divide between the global North and South, particularly in the economic sphere, continues to undermine equality among nations. Widening inequalities within and among states also expose structural imbalances and international financial architecture and constraints and constrain the capacity of developing countries to fully realize economic and social rights. Angola therefore supports a renewed approach to the global economy that places human dignity and the realization of human rights at its center. Such an approach should move beyond conditionalities that may restrict national policy space, and should promote fair access to financing, sustainable debt solution, and greater participation of developing country in global economic decision making. Angola has consistently advocated respect for international law, multilateralism, and international solidarity, while calling for the correction of structural inequalities that continues to hinder equitable development. At a time of growing geopolitical fragmentation, restoring trust in multilateralism is essential. This requires strong international cooperation, solidarity, and renewed investment in preventive diplomacy, mediation, and reconciliation. Mr. Independent, how can the international financial architecture be reformed to ensure greater policy space for developing countries while advancing a human rights economy?

I thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Malawi.

Mr. Vice President, Malawi aligns itself with the African Group statement. Malawi thanks the Independent Expert on the Promotion of a Democratic and Equitable International Order for his insightful report. The report notes that as multipolarity is deepening and traditional North-South cooperation faces fiscal and political constraints, South to South and triangular cooperation have emerged as vital modalities for advancing development, strengthening institutional capacity and enhancing strategic autonomy. Malawi concurs with the independent experts' finding that multipolarity can become an opportunity for more inclusive, equitable, and resilient global governance and can strengthen the realization of human rights if states channel it through cooperative frameworks anchored in Charter principles and international law. Malawi reaffirms its commitment to the Charter principles and also supports the independent experts' recommendation that all states should consider the establishment of a global regulatory delivery index, a voluntary global South-driven tool to measure how states deliver on human rights and development commitments. I thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Oman.

Vice President, Oman wishes to thank the independent expert for his report and its analysis of the ongoing transformations of the international order, which should be multipolar. Oman considers that moving forward to a multipolar system should not be just about a reconfiguration of power, but an opportunity to reinforce multilateralism, sovereign equality, and participation of countries to counter common international challenges. We reaffirm that respect of the goals and principles of the UN Charter and that cooperation, dialogue, and noninterference in domestic affairs of countries are pillars for establishing a more equitable international order. Global solidarity should be translated to practical measures that include technology transfer, capacity building, supporting developing countries to achieve sustainable development, and to live up to their human rights commitment. Given that experts suggested the establishment of a global index for the evaluation of human rights commitment and development, we ask, how can we make sure that this index takes on board different national contexts and structural constraints facing various countries, especially different countries, and be used as a tool for cooperation and capacity building, and not a tool for selective evaluation and political pressure? And thank you, Vice President.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ethiopia.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Ethiopia aligns with the African Group statement and thanks the independent expert for his timely report. For Ethiopia, the central question is not simply how power is distributed internationally, but whether the international system is capable of delivering greater equity, development opportunities, and policy space for developing countries. A changing global order should translate into more effective international cooperation and greater opportunities for countries of the Global South to pursue their national development priorities. Our concern is that structural inequalities in the international economic and financial systems continue to constrain development. We therefore call for greater access to development finance, technology and capacity building, alongside stronger representation and voice for developing countries in global economic decision making. Ethiopia attaches particular importance to South-South and triangular cooperation as complementary avenues for knowledge exchange, technology transfer, institutional strengthening, and development financing. We also see merit in the concept of embedded multipolarity, where it contributes to a more balanced international environment while preserving the universality of the United Nations Charter and international law. Ethiopia values an inclusive, equitable and effective multilateral system that respects sovereignty, national ownership and policy space.

I thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Cambodia.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Amid rising geopolitical tensions, Cambodia reaffirms that the United Nations Charter and international law must be the foundation of a democratic and equitable international order. The principles are clear. Sovereign equality, respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, the renunciation of the threat or use of force, and the peaceful settlement of disputes. These norms ensure that Relations among states are governed by agreed rules rather than by differences in military, political, or economic power. Respect for these obligations also have direct implications for human rights, as civilians are often the first to suffer when disputes escalate. Peaceful settlement must therefore remain central to addressing conflict. Dialogue, negotiation are essential. Mediation, conciliation, good offices, and other peaceful mechanism should also be employed. Where appropriate, recourse to such mechanism should not be viewed as confrontation or escalation, but as a lawful and constructive means to prevent further tension and contribute to a just and lasting solution. I thank you.

Thank you. The list of speakers is now closed. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Burkina Faso.

Mr. President, my delegation aligns itself with the statement made by the African Group. We share the concerns of the independent experts on the rise of multilateralism and restrictive measures, as well as the instrumentalization of interdependencies for political purposes. These practices make the sovereign practice of states more vulnerable, as well as the international cooperation and peaceful agreements enshrined in the UN Charter. It makes the space for political decision-making of developing states shrink and has an impact on human rights. Our delegation believes that multipolarity provides an opportunity to pursue a more inclusive multilateralism, which is more equitable and more representative, founded on the Charter and international law. We welcome the call to reform the multilateral system and accelerate that reform in order to take into consideration a better representation of developing countries and to provide for an international index of implementation on the condition that this is voluntary and that it respect the international sovereignty of states. To conclude, my delegation calls for an end to unilateral coercive measures for political purposes. Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Togo.

Mr. Vice President, the delegation of Togo aligns itself with the statement made by Kenya and thanks the independent expert for his report, which highlights the reality of a multipolar and polycentric order, while drawing attention to the risks of exacerbating inequalities between nations and the erosion of human rights, in particular when the exercise by states of their attributes takes place at the of agreed principles. In this regard, we would like to support the call to build an international order that is democratic and equitable, based on cooperative pluralism, which is not hegemonic, and which is enshrined in a vision of the United Nations Charter. In this spirit, we stress the need for structural reform of the international system with regard to representativity and decision-making within the world governance bodies. trade relations and economic relations, as well as the architecture of international debt and access to technologies. My country believes that international support to initiatives for a fair cartographic representation of regions and restorative justice for the crimes of slavery, deportation, and colonization will contribute to this work.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Bismillahir Rahmanir Raheem.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President.

We thank the independent expert on the promotion of democratic and equitable international order for the valuable report and for the continued dedication to this mandate. Your presence and your work can contribute to resorting the credibility of the UN at a time when that credibility is under a strain. The Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes and appreciates the reports prepared by Professor George Carter Gallos And Iran, particularly, notes the report's call for the embedded multipolarity based on the UN Charter and international order. Iran stressed that this shift has been accelerated by the American humiliating defeat in its illegal war of aggression against Iran. The United States has become a major threat to international order and a leading violator of preemptory norms of international law. Its policies, including against Cuba, demonstrate this pattern. This country also has an excess of evil, through which it carries out the dirtiest job, as the German Chancellor has himself stated, through a genocidal regime of Israel, in a fear to prevent this shift from taking place. I thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of India.

Vice President. We take note of the report, which in part reflects the independent experts' own reading of the present geopolitical landscape. India welcomes its central proposition regarding embedded multipolarity. The report aptly recalls India's external affairs minister's observation that India and other countries of the global south are simply not sitting on the fence, but rather standing on their own ground. This affirms strategic autonomy and sovereign choice, not disengagement from multilateral cooperation. In this context, BRICS is the very embodiment of multipolarity. Under India's 2026 chairship, it is focused on resilience, innovation, cooperation and sustainability. Reform of global governance, development cooperation and a strong voice for developing countries remain central priorities. Mr. Chair, geopolitical conflicts and sanctions disrupt supplies, logistics and increase costs with serious development consequences. Decolonizing standards must therefore begin with reform of the institutions that set and enforce them, particularly international financial institutions. Credit rating methodologies also require greater transparency and reform. Developing countries must remain policy space suited to their national circumstances and obligations. Reflecting on the proposed global regulatory delivery index, we believe any global regulatory delivery index must remain voluntary and non-prescriptive, require states' consent, account for externally imposed structural constraints, and never become yet another ranking loan assessment or conditionality tool. Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Nigeria.

Mr. Vice President, Nigeria aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the African group and thanks the independent expert for his report on multipolarity in a polarized world. Nigeria finds the report timely against the backdrop of the global polarization and weakening multilateralism. We concur that a multipolar order must remain anchored in the charter of the United Nations, sovereign equality, international law, and inclusive multilateralism. It should expand the influence of developing countries rather than create new divisions. For multipolarity to deliver equitable outcomes, it must take into account the structural constraints facing developing countries. Debt burdens, financing gaps, and excessive conditionalities continue to limit their policy policy space and the capacity to fulfill human rights and development commitments. This reinforces why South-South, North-South and triangular cooperation, genuine partnership and multilateralism remains indispensable. In this context, we take note of the proposed global regulatory delivery index and it focuses on outcomes and structural constraints. Indeed, assessment should not should move beyond the existence of laws and institutions to their implementation and impact, while also recognizing different national systems and development pathways. Accordingly, any such mechanisms should remain voluntary, non-prescriptive, and free from conditionality. Finally, inclusive multilateralism...

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Zimbabwe.

Mr. President, Zimbabwe welcomes the report by the independent expert, which comes at a critical juncture when the globe is facing numerous challenges. Zimbabwe advocates for a more inclusive and balanced approach to multilateral governance. We believe that multilateral diplomacy remains viable even amid geopolitical complexities. It affords an opportunity for more inclusive, equitable, and resilient global governance if channeled through cooperative frameworks in the UN Charter principles and international law. Legitimacy of the UN depends on its capacity to remain relevant, responsive and representative. Zimbabwe calls for the acceleration of long-delayed institutional reforms, including the reform of the Security Council and international financial institutions. These reforms should strengthen the capacity of the UN to facilitate dialogue across geopolitical divides and ensuring that human rights remain central to the work of the United Nations across all pillars. We call for the unconditional lifting of unilateral coercive measures imposed on Zimbabwe and other countries, as UCMs obstruct the establishment of an equitable economic global order and continue to undermine the credibility of multilateralism. We reiterate our commitment to the promotion of a democratic and equitable order. I thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Kenya.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Kenya aligns itself with the African group statement and welcomes the report of the independent expert and its timely examination of the evolving multipolar international order. The continued underrepresentation of Africa and the wider global South in the global governance remains a challenge to the legitimacy and the effectiveness of international system. Kenya, therefore, recognizes the potential of an embedded multipolar order anchored in the multilateral framework of the United Nations to strengthen the voice and the participation of developing countries in global decision making. Kenya shares the concerns raised regarding the instrumentalization of economic interdependence for political purposes. Such practices can disproportionately affect developing countries, constrain national policy space, and undermine efforts towards the realization of human rights and sustainable development. We underscore the need for reform of the international financial architecture to address the structural inequalities and enhance the representation of developing countries. We further recognize the importance of South-South and the triangular cooperation in strengthening national capacities and advancing development based on national ownership and mutual benefit. Kenya, therefore, takes note of the proposed global regulatory delivery index. Any further consideration should remain voluntary, account for structural constraint facing developing countries, respect national circumstances, and be safeguarded against its use as an instrument of conditionality. Kenya remains committed to the international order that is democratic and equitable in both substance and practice. I thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of China.

Mr. Vice President, China commends the independent expert for his somatic report to the Council. The current international landscape is marked by intertwined turmoil and transformation. Progress towards the 2030 agenda has fallen significantly behind. The development gap between global North and South continues to widen. The global human rights governance faces severe challenges. As the report mentioned, unilaterally has seriously undermined the UN system. Many countries, including China, have offered solutions to global challenges in order to advance noble cause of promoting and protecting human rights.

Last September, President Xi Jinping formally put forward the Global

Governance Initiative, highlighting five core concepts: sovereignty, equality, international rule of law, multilateralism, and a people-centered approach, as well as action orientation. The initiative has received support from nearly 160 countries and international organizations. Over the past year, groups of friends of global governance have been set up in Geneva, New York, and Vienna.

Their membership continues to grow, amplifying

in the collective voice for multilateralism. China will continue to firmly uphold the international system with the UN at its core and the international order based on international law. China supports the independent expert in continuing to fulfill his important mandate and stands ready to work with all parties on ways to reform and improve global governance in order to build a community with a shared future for humanity. Thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Cameroon.

Thank you, Chair.

Cameroon aligns itself with the statement made by the African Group. My delegation congratulates the independent expert for his enlightening report. Cameroon is aware of the primacy of the role of the state on the international scene, but also of the emergence of new actors. And we remain loyal to our international commitments, internationally and regionally, as well as to the fundamental principles which structure our foreign policy, in particular, the respect for the sovereignty of states, non-interference and non-intervention. We have always highlighted the importance of the rule of law rather than the rule of force. To answer the question of how to ensure that cooperation and international partnerships can be strengthened for sustainable development, reducing world inequalities and strengthening the implementation of human rights. The commitment of Cameroon within the international community took the form of a strengthened outreach strategy multilaterally through various initiatives. For example, we hosted the WTO ministerial conference in March, as well as several meetings of a regional character, and there have been several agreements and strategic partnerships, as well as regional and international partnerships signed. These initiatives make Cameroon a place of dialogue and sharing to strengthen institutional, technical, and operational capacities in order to enable us to better transform opportunities of international cooperation in trade, productive investment, and regional value chains. We ensure the independent expert of our full support. Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Azerbaijan.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Azerbaijan attaches importance to multilateralism and an international order grounded in the UN Charter and principles of international law. Respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the inviolability of internationally recognized borders of states remain cornerstone of peace, security, and cooperation. These principles must be observed consistently and without exception, regardless geographic preferences, and compliance with these principles should remain high on the agenda. VDI affirms that human rights and fundamental freedoms are universal, indivisible, and interdependent, and must be upheld for all individuals without discrimination or double standards. Evolving multipolar nature of the global order is an important and enduring development, whose implications for international cooperation remain contested and uncertain. Against this backdrop, genuine international cooperation is essential to addressing growing global challenges and achieving sustainable peace and development. Azerbaijan continues to contribute to strengthening the principles of multilateralism in international affairs. Through its engagement within the UN and other international and regional organizations, as well as its leadership in initiatives such as the Non-Aligned Movement, COP29, and World Urban Forum 13, Azerbaijan has consistently promoted dialogue, solidarity, and We stand ready to work with all partners to strengthen international cooperation and to contribute to a more peaceful, stable, and sustainable international order. I thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ghana.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Ghana welcomes the independent expert's report on embedded multipolarity in a polarized world. The evolving multipolar landscape offers an opportunity to build a more inclusive, representative, and balanced multilateral system. Realizing this potential, however, requires addressing persistent structural inequalities in global economic governance, which continues to widen the North-South divide and hinders progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The Vice President, a democratic and equitable international system requires the meaningful representation and participation of developing countries in discussions that directly affect their development and enjoyment of human rights. Ghana, therefore, underscores the need to reform global governance, international financial institutions, and development cooperation mechanisms to better reflect the priorities and circumstances of developing countries. The Human Rights Council has an important role to play in advancing multilateralism, international cooperation, sovereign equality, and the meaningful participation of all States. Ghana remains committed to a more democratic and equitable international order that promotes sustainable development and the realization of all human rights for all. I thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Maldives.

Thank you, Mr. Vice-President. The Maldives thank the independent expert for his report and welcome its focus on structural constraints facing the Global South, particularly unsustainable debt. The Maldives' own experience underscores the structural nature of these debt challenges. Despite strong economic performance, including 6.3% GDP growth and record tourist arrivals in 2025, we continue to face serious debt sustainability risks. This demonstrates that strong economic performance alone cannot shield states from structural vulnerabilities within the international financial architecture. The Maldives, therefore, champions for debt relief, for resilience building mechanisms, and fairer credit ratings that accurately accounts for both climate risk and our resilience building efforts. We call for greater access to grant-based finance, concessional instruments for SIDS, enabling us to translate our commitments into concrete actions. Mr. Vice President, we agree that that the legitimacy of the United Nations depends on its ability to remain relevant, responsive, representative, with human rights at the center of its work. The international community must uphold its obligations under international law and take urgent and effective measures to end the illegal occupation of Palestinian territory, protect Palestinian people, and uphold their inalienable right to self-determination. I thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of Algeria.

Thank you. Thank you, Vice President. We would like to welcome the independent expert. We thank him for his report, and we support his mandate. We agree with him that there are risks with the excessive use of UCMs and the politicization of financial international financial policies and this goes against the Charter international law and it also hinders development and economic and social rights Algeria has a foreign policy based on mutual respect and equality sovereign equality and non-interference into the domestic affairs of states and thus we believe that an equitable international order hinges One, a reform of global governance. A reform of the global financial governance, avoiding the marginalization of the countries of the South and providing states in Africa with development support is essential. The partnerships, horizontal partnerships, are also essential without any political conditions. Third, we are interested in this global index on compliance. We believe that this should remain voluntary and overseen. It should not be conditional upon any measures. Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Bangladesh.

Mr. Vice President, Bangladesh thanks the independent expert for his presentation and takes note of the report and the Global Regulatory Delivery Index. Sovereign equality, peaceful dispute settlement, non-interference, and international cooperation and must remain the foundation of a democratic and equitable international order. An inclusive, effective, and renewed multilateralism is indispensable for upholding the principle of the UN Charter and addressing growing inequality and disparities among states. Bangladesh remains concerned by the increasing use of unilateral measures and the weaponization of trade, finance, and development cooperation. Such practices affect the ability of the developing countries to pursue their development priorities to achieve sustainable development and undermine their efforts to advance human rights. Developing countries also face growing and emerging challenges, including debt burdens, limited fiscal space, climate change, technological divides, and unequal access to finance and economic opportunities. Mr. Vice President, we underline the importance of reforming global governance to ensure stronger representation and a more effective voice for developing countries. We also emphasize the urgent need to reform the international financial architecture to address financing gaps, debt burdens, and other development challenges. Digital and technological transformation must serve as an instrument of inclusion, and it must benefit all. I thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of The Gambia.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. The Gambia aligns with the African Group statement and thanks the independent expert for his report. For small and developing countries, A democratic and equitable international order must ensure that respect for sovereign equality is reflected not only in international legal instruments, but also meaningful participation in global decision making. In this regard, we deplore the imposition of coercive measures not backed by any norm of international law designed to deprive a state of its sovereign will, as well as the targeting of institutions and individuals discharging international legal and human rights mandates. We underline the value of South-South and triangular cooperation in strengthening international partnerships and providing alternative pathways for capacity building to fulfill economic, social, and cultural rights. We welcome the report's attention to the structural constraints faced by developing countries, which can significantly affect the ability of states to translate human rights and development commitments into tangible outcomes. In this regard, we take note of the proposed global regulatory delivery index, which must be guided by the guardrails of voluntariness, transparency, non-conditionality, and respect for national circumstances. Finally, Mr. Vice President, we ask, how can the recognition of the structural constraints faced by developing countries be translated into practical changes in international cooperation and financing mechanisms? Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the State of Palestine.

Mr. Vice President, we thank the independent expert for the important report. Palestine remains firmly committed to international legal system and a strong UN-centered multilateral order. We also support meaningful reform, greater efficiency, and more representative and effective institutions capable of responding to today's global challenges. Our experience also demonstrates why reform is urgent. The current international order, marked by deep power imbalances, selectivity and double standards in the application and enforcement of international law, has failed to protect the Palestinian people from

decades of illegal occupation, colonialism and apartheid, and has enabled the ongoing genocide and ethnic cleansing of our people. This is why we see

genuine multipolarity not as a threat to international law, but as an opportunity to strengthen it.

A more balanced distribution of power, grounded in sovereign equality, and a genuine multilateral cooperation can help ensure

that no state is above the law and no people is denied its protection.

Multipolarity must therefore strengthen the Charter, international peace and security, accountability, and our collective capacity to confront global challenges. Law without implementation cannot deliver justice.

For Palestine, reform must ultimately mean one thing: international law applied equally, consistently, and effectively to all.

Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of Iraq.

Thank you.

My delegation would like to welcome the independent expert in the promotion of an equitable, democratic international order. We hail the efforts for presenting this report that we have before us. Chair, we are of the opinion that to create an international system that is democratic, equitable, there must be international cooperation to face international challenges. We must ensure respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms for all. in step with the UN Charter. The promotion of international solidarity between countries of the North and the South is essential if we are to tackle these challenges, war, climate change, first among them. These affect all countries, particularly developing countries, small island developing states and LDCs. We must strengthen their capacity to tackle these challenges. This report underscores the selectivity in the implementation of international norms. This is reflected clearly in the occupying power and the genocidal actions imposed upon the Palestinian people. We must see a respect for international law. Iraq wishes to express its solidarity with the sister nation of Palestine, its right to development, and the right to a capital with East Jerusalem as its capital. Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Egypt.

My delegation would like to welcome the independent expert, and we take note of the report presented at a time when the international human rights system is facing never-before-seen challenges. The charter and the real practice of countries are essential. The report insists on the idea that international cooperation and respect for sovereignty, as well as a commitment to international law, are crucial pillars when it comes to establishing peace and stability and the full enjoyment of human rights. We appreciate the fact that this report has underscored the issues of the need to trust the international system and the selective implementation of international law as well, we would like to insist on the fact that we must preserve the multilateral system. And given the conclusions of the report, we are asking what the independent expert's opinion is regarding the measures that can be taken by states to fully be in compliance with their practices with the UN Charter. What are the practical measures that the international community can undertake in order to be compliant and to promote accountability and to safeguard pluralism anchored in legitimacy. We would like to reiterate our commitment to multilateral action and a common shared responsibility for respect for international law to include international human rights law. Thank you very much.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Thank you, Vice President. Venezuela thanks the independent expert. Thank you for the report, we appreciate your analysis on the challenges that come with unilateral economic coercion, as well as the importance of leveraging interdependency for building an international. democratic and equitable order. For Venezuela, moving towards that order requires international relations based on sovereign equality, cooperation, and solidarity. This also requires conditions that allow all states, and in particular developing states, to freely have access to their resources and to fully enjoy their right to development. Your report presents Venezuela as an example of the consequences of the use of UCMs And also, as an example of the limitations in access to international financial markets and asset repatriation, a truly equitable order should ensure that no country is hindered in accessing its own resources, especially when these resources are essential for ensuring the protection of human rights. Equity in the international order requires overcoming all forms of economic coercion. It requires ensuring that sovereignty, resources, and the rights of all peoples be respected on equal footing. I thank you kindly.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Tunisia.

Thank you, Mr. Vice-President. First, we would like to associate ourselves with the statement by the African Group. We have taken note of the report from the independent expert, and we also sign on to the conclusions there in that report. The UN, as an example, of multipolarity in a framework, and we must create an order that ensures human rights. We must, to do so, avoid using human rights as a means of coercion and pressure on developing countries. We have challenges before us, more armed conflict and the flagrant violations of the UN Charter. armed conflict undermines human rights. We respect all rights, including international human rights law. We wish to establish peace on on norms without double standards. This must be based on respect for the rights for sovereign decisions while maintaining justice and equity and the rights of people to include the right to self-determination, in particular, the legitimate inalienable rights of the rights of the sister nation, Palestine, with their right to have an independent state with a capital in Al-Quds Al-Sharif. Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Malaysia.

Mr. Vice President, Malaysia thanks the independent expert for his report. Malaysia reaffirms its strong commitment to multilateralism, sovereign equality, and the rules-based international order. We believe that a more multipolar world should strengthen, not fragment, international cooperation and respect for international law. In this context, Malaysia is concerned by measures that undermine these principles. We must recognize the human rights implications arising from unilateral sanctions and coercive economic measures. While acknowledging measures legitimately adopted under the UN Charter, unilateral sanctions can restrict access to essential goods, healthcare, financial services, and development, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations. We are equally concerned by measures undermining the integrity and independence of international judicial and human rights mechanisms. In particular, sanctions against judges and prosecutors of the ICC, as well as the Special Rapporteur on the OPT, are deeply concerning. Such actions risk weakening international accountability and confidence in the international legal order. Malaysia believes that an evolving multipolar order must remain anchored in the UN Charter, international law and genuine international cooperation, so that it contributes to a more inclusive and equitable multilateral system rather than further fragmentation. I thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Pakistan.

Thank you very much, Mr. Vice President. Pakistan thanks the independent expert for his report. We appreciate the independent expert for presenting a comprehensive overview of the complex and interconnected challenges regarding his mandate, including references to the imperative of the principles of sovereign equality and peaceful resolution of disputes highlighted in the report. The world today, with growing disregard for international law, multilateralism, and peaceful settlement of disputes, through dialogue, mediation, and arbitration is sparking violent conflicts and violating rights, including the right to life. Pakistan has consistently called for democratization of the international order, respect for international law, international cooperation, including effort for collective security. Unwavering adherence to the UN Charter is the need of the hour to shape a brighter future for humankind. For the full realization of all human rights, it is imperative that everyone has equitable and affordable access to technology and knowledge sharing, supported by an enabling environment offering equal opportunities and sustainable development. We take note of the GRD proposed by independent expert. We would like to know his view on the need for the GRD to remain voluntary and non-prescriptive. I thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Eritrea.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Eritrea thanks the independent expert for his report. The emergence of a multipolar international order can contribute to a more democratic and equitable world only if multipolarity is anchored in the sovereign equality of states, respect for territorial integrity, noninterference in internal affairs, and the equal application of international law. For developing countries, however, the question is not merely whether the world is becoming multipolar, but whether the structures and practices of the international system are genuinely becoming more representative, inclusive, and equitable. Eritrea remains concerned that political selectivity, double standards, unilateral coercive measures, and the instrumentalization of human rights continue to undermine the credibility of the multilateral system. A truly democratic international order should provide meaningful space for all states, regardless of their size, economic weight, or political alignment, to participate on an equal footing in international decision-making. I thank the independent expert, and we would like to ask what concrete reforms would you consider necessary to ensure that the emerging multipolar order does not simply reproduce existing hierarchies in a new configuration, but instead delivers genuine equality, sovereignty, and accountability for all states? I thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you. This was the last speaker on my list. We shall now turn to the list of speakers for national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations. Now I give the floor to the representative of United Nations Watch, intervention by video.

Thank you for allowing us to pose several questions to the expert.

Mr. Katsougoulos, your report mentions China 33 times. At page 9, you say China is a central actor defending international order. Xi Jinping is the new guardian of global rules for free trade, and Chinese discourse, quote, "closely aligns with the UN Charter and peaceful coexistence." At page 10, you recite numerous Chinese initiatives that contribute, and I quote, "to the enjoyment of all human rights." Mr. Kachergolas, we ask, if your report is truly about human rights, then where are China's victims? Where are the million Uyghurs subject to mass detention, forced labor, and religious persecution? Where are the Tibetans whose culture, language, religion, Beijing systematically crushes. Where are Hong Kong's imprisoned democracy activists, such as 78-year-old Jimmy Lai?

Where are the human rights lawyers, journalists, dissidents, religious minorities jailed across China?

Where is Beijing's mass censorship, its surveillance state, its threats against Taiwan, Mr. Kachergolas? One-fifth of humanity are denied free elections, free speech, and basic political rights. Why does none of this appear in your account of China's contribution to a democratic and equitable world order? Now, you also chair the UN Committee all human rights experts and the UN disclosed that China chose to donate $100,000 to your mandate. Why did Beijing choose you? What exactly did its money finance? Did it support this report? Who funded your two trips to China mentioned on page two? Will you acknowledge that such funding creates a conflict? Will you commit today that all of China's money will be returned?

Thank you. I now give the floor to the representative of New Humanity.

Mr. President, New Humanity and the co-signing NGOs thank the independent expert for his report.

We share its central premise.

The transition towards a multipolar world will be positive only if it remains grounded on the UN Charter, international law, and the universal protection of human rights. All states must uphold their obligation to settle international disputes.

By peaceful means and refrain from the threat or use of force. The value of multipolarity does not lie simply in the existence of more centers of power.

But in ensuring that none of them can unilaterally impose its interests. It constitutes genuine progress only when it is transformed into shared responsibility.

Equitable participation, and service to the universal common good.

An international order composed of several powers equally willing to dominate will be no more just than a hegemonic one.

It would merely represent a more fragmented form of domination. We therefore call for a shift from merely integrated multipolarity towards relational multipolarity founded on reciprocity, mutual listening, and dialogue. Humanity needs not only a new balance of power, but also a new quality of relationships. We must move from competition among powers to fraternity among peoples and from interdependence to chosen solidarity.

Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the representative of Institute for Energy Research. Intervention by video.

Mr. President, after reading this turgid report, I wondered whether we had time traveled back to a university lecture in the 1970s. The report directs its ire towards the United States for supposedly being the sole actor responsible for jeopardizing a mythical utopia of global multipolarity. At the same time in the report, Iran, which is responsible for mayhem and field of immunity while ignoring her blatant violations of the UN code of conduct, including gross selectivity, partiality, non-objectivity, and discrimination. That China is, of course, held up as a model in this multipolar fantasy world is not surprising, given the country donated $100,000 to the rapporteur's mandate. What appears to be most upsetting for the mandate holder, however, and reflected in this report, is that the US wants to protect its national interests, like all countries, and is demanding accountability from those benefiting from its largesse. It is no longer willing to finance international agencies and programs that are duplicative, discriminatory, destructive, and without demonstrated results. It will no longer pay to promote impunity. This report is a prime example of why this US policy was adopted. Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the representative of World Muslim Congress.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President.

We welcome the report A/HRC/63/24, which rightly warns that unilateralism, coercive economic statecraft, and the weaponization of interdependence erode sovereignty, equality, and undermine the Charter principles. We agree that multipolarity, if channeled through cooperative frameworks anchored in the international law, can strengthen, not weaken, the global governance. In this regard, we recall the report of the first mandate holder, Alfred de Zayas, A/HRC/37/63, who urged this Council to place the right of peoples to self-determination on its agenda as a separate item. Such a step would give peoples struggling under foreign and alien occupation, including the people of Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, a formal and permanent platform to raise their concerns consistent with the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, which promise a free and impartial plebiscite. Multilateralism fulfills its promises only when it protects the right to self-determination and remains responsive to occupied peoples who today remain excluded from decision-making. We therefore urge the individual expert to endorse the earlier proposal for a separate agenda item on right self-determination and to examine how emerging multipolar governance can be constructively leveraged to resolve protracted conflicts and protect human rights across all pillars. Does the interim expert support reviving former mandate holder Alfred Jha's proposal for a separate agenda item on the situation so that peoples under foreign and Indian occupation, including that of Indian-occupied Kashmir, can be heard by this Council? I thank you.

I now give the floor to the representative of Rajasthan Samagra Kalyan Sansthan, intervention by video.

Resident, a democratic and equitable international order loses all meaning when people asking to be heard are answered with bullets, arrests, and silence. A painful example is the escalating violence in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir since the clashes began in June 2026. The local human rights monitors have documented nearly 90 civilian deaths, while hundreds more have reportedly been injured. The people were not asking for privilege. They were asking for affordable electricity, lower flour prices, and a meaningful voice in decisions shaping their lives. Yet in PoK, these basic demands were met with arrests, gunfire, and deadly violence. When hunger is answered with bullets and legitimate dissent with repression, human dignity itself is under attack. Political disagreement can never justify unlawful force or the denial of the rights to life, peaceful assembly, and freedom of expression. We call upon the Council to mandate an immediate, independent, impartial, and transparent investigation under the United Nations auspices. Demand unrestricted access for OHCHR, special procedures, journalists, and independent medical observers. Protect witnesses, preserve evidence, and ensure accountability for every proven violation. Mr. President, an international order cannot call itself democratic while innocent voices are buried beneath fear and silence. The Council must act before more families are forced to mourn. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of the European Union of Jewish Students. Intervention by video.

Mr. President.

Across the world, conflicts.

Are escalating, societies are becoming increasingly polarized, and young people are growing up with fear and war and instability.

Once again shaping their futures. From Ukraine to the Middle East, these conflicts do not remain within borders.

They reach our communities, our universities, and our streets.

They fuel fear and division and create fertile ground for extremist voices that offer simple answers to increasingly complex crisis.

In this context, speaking about a democratic and equitable international order requires us to confront an uncomfortable truth. We cannot build such an order with governments that fundamentally disregard the human rights of their own people and actively undermine the rights and security for others. Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine has devastated a generation and destabilized the European security order. The Iranian regime brutally represses its own population by supporting actors that contribute to violence, terror, and instability across the Middle East. Their actions do not only affect those living under their governments or in neighboring states.

The consequences are felt globally, contributing to radicalization, polarization, and the strengthening of extremist movements.

An international order cannot be democratic merely because every state has a seat at the table.

It must be built upon accountability and the protection of human dignity.

Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the representative of Shivi Development Society, intervention by video.

We congratulate the independent expert for a timely and incisive report on the urgent imperative of reform multilateralism. The independent expert rightly reminds us that UN legitimacy rests on its ability to remain relevant, representative, and responsive. Yet, the architecture of global governance continues to reflect the geopolitical realities of 1945 rather than those of the world we live in today. For developing countries like India, this democratic deficit has real consequences for human rights and development. Decisions on international peace and security, development financing, trade and technology directly affect billions of lives. The United Nations, particularly the Security Council, therefore requires urgent reform. In this context, we welcome the proposal for a Global Regulatory Delivery Index as a potentially important instrument for assessing whether international institutions are delivering fairly, effectively and equitably for all. Furthermore, the absence of permanent representation for India, Africa and Latin America in key global decision-making bodies cannot be reconciled with principles of inclusive governance. SDS stands ready to contribute to civil society's push for multilateral reforms grounded in human dignity for a just and fairer international order. Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the representative of MAT for Peace, Development and Human Rights Association.

President, MAT thanks the Independent Expert for his report. and agrees with its conclusions, reaffirming that the unilateral policies of the United States and pressure on international institutions undermine the international order. Mr. Vice President, multilateral institutions and international law are facing a genuine crisis stemming from major powers such as the United States abandoning these institutions and seeking to dismantle them. On 18th of August 2026, the US took the flow decision to place two officials of the International Criminal Court on its sanctions list. The president of the court and the court's chief prosecutor. Regrettably, these decisions have not been limited to the United States. On 29th of July 2026, Chad decided to withdraw from the court, while Venezuela expressed a similar intention, weakening a collective effort to achieve justice and end impunity. Therefore, we recommend that the independent expert urge the international community to support the International Criminal Court against the arbitrary decisions of the United States. We also call on states that have announced their withdrawal from the court to reconsider these decisions. I thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the representative of Partners for Transparency.

Vice President, we welcome the report and stress that double standards between global North and South are stripping the international system of its legal substance, turning justice into a selective tool tailored to geopolitical interests. International order that is democratic and just is impossible as international law is based on double standards and is affected by powers of country. Western countries imposed 20 packages of sanctions on Russia over its aggression against Ukraine. However, the grave violations in Gaza have not been met with similar measures, and not a single economic sanction has been imposed on Israel, despite tens of thousands of victims, highlighting the blatant selectivity and double standards in the application of sanctions. The absence of justice in the international system extends to the structure of global economic institutions. Global North countries hold voting power within the International Monetary Fund that is approximately nine times greater than the Global South countries, while developing countries spend more on debt rather than education and health. partners call on Western states to apply international countries indiscriminately. A law that is applied to some and suspended for others is not a law, but a privilege granted and withdrawn according to political calculations. Thank you, Vice President.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the representative of Together Network Against Torture in Mauritania. I understand they're absent. I give the floor to the representative of Mediterranean Forum for the Promotion of Human Rights of Citizens. Intervention by video.

Thank you very much, Vice President. The Mediterranean Forum for the Promotion of the Rights of the Citizen welcomes this interactive dialogue. We reaffirm that In a democratic and equitable international order, we must see this based on sovereign equality of states and also on a respect for international law, dialogue, and cooperation. Along these lines, we underscore favorably the efforts of the Kingdom of Bahrain in favor of dialogue, tolerance, coexistence, and international cooperation. We urge the independent expert to promote better participation or greater participation of developing countries in global governance. Our question is the following. What concrete reforms does the independent expert believe to be priority in order to bring about a more democratic, representative, and equitable international governance. Thank you kindly.

Thank you. This was the last speaker we could accommodate at this debate. I now give the floor to Mr. Katergalos for his concluding remarks. You have 12 minutes.

Many thanks, Mr. Vice President. And also many thanks to the states, to the NGOs that have taken part in this interactive dialogue. I have, however, to regret the non-presence of states from the global north. This is regrettable not only because, of course, the absence does not contribute to any political dialogue or north-south cooperation, but also because it perpetuates the fragmentation of the human rights into the United Nations system. Since the Vienna Declaration, we know that rights are complementary, interconnected, but in the current practice, it seems that some states do not to be engaged on how to promote this goal of, let's say, unified human rights protection. I very much welcome the support to report. I share with most of the states that have taken the floor, probably all, the idea that embedded multipolarity has as essential elements strategic autonomy, sovereign equality. And of course, I agree with the premise that it is not necessary to speak about these principles. We need a meaningful reform of the global governance, especially of the international financial organizations. I have received some questions regarding how these premises can be transferred to real action. I have written proposed concrete proposals about that in previous reports related to the role of the international financial organizations. In my next report to the General Assembly, I have also thoughts about how international tax justice could, let's say, promote these goals. I'm going to refer more analytically, however, to my proposal for the global regulatory delivery index, because I consider it as a practical proposal in order to promote all these high values, principles, and human rights. And also, I would like to answer concrete questions I have received related to this index, for instance, by Oman, how this index can take into account values and sometimes conflicting interests. First of all, as my report states, this proposed global regulatory delivery index would be a voluntary, non-prescriptive tool to measure the functional delivery of human rights. It is explicitly not a ranking and would include binding safeguards against its misuse as such, and also against its use in lending or aid conditionality. Why do we need a new index? We need it in order to take into account historical asymmetries originating in the colonial period and perpetuated through the international economic architecture. And these asymmetries continue to constrain both the effect delivery and the accurate measurement of governance outcomes. We need the index in order to evaluate environmental and social equity commitments against standards that states themselves have accepted. And also, take note, this is important, to disaggregate gaps caused by domestic choice policies from those imposed externally by sanctions, debt servicing, or IMF conditionality. The guarantee is that this index would contribute to all these goals would be a global south majority oversight, an opt-in requirement, and of course, a prohibition, as I mentioned before, for any kind of conditionality. And in order to have a scientific research, my annex, my proposed index is just the start of a dialogue. I suggested in the report that the South Center, as a governmental institution of developing countries, would play the central role in further standing and evaluating the concrete facets of this index. And I'm also committed to continue the dialogue with you. I have taken note of the countries, of the states that have said that they support the idea or they are willing to engage with me in this dialogue, and I'm going to contact you in the immediate future. I thank also NGOs for their remarks. I share some of them. I thank you for your contribution to this dialogue. I especially welcome the reference to the work of the first independent expert. I am in direct communication with him and also his successor in order to have some continuity on what we are doing here. Unfortunately, I must speak more analytically on the question of UN Watch, not so much because of the personal attacks, but exactly this organization organizes a smear campaign against the special procedures and the United Nations system as a whole. I must thank personally the President of the Council for his unreserved condemnation during this session. of similar attacks, in his own words, of these insults, threats, and unlawful actions. We, the Special Procedures, are accused of corruption, although it is very well known that we are unpaid volunteers, and any funding our mandate receives is managed by the Office of the High Commissioner under rules set for the functional needs of the mandate, subject to full disclosure. Not a cent goes into our pockets. I have been personally accused on the UN Watch X account of participating in a book presentation in 2025 because my mandate received funding one year later, in 2026. You would need a time machine to make that work. On substance, the question misinterpreted or doctored parts of my reports. I did refer to China 32 times and 39 to the United States because they are central countries of the international system. My position on embedded multipolarity reflects what Secretary General said days ago at the summit of Bishkek. I quote, "Multipolarity is the best support for effective multilateralism." It is clear that the quarrel is not with me. It is with multilateralism and the United Nations. The basic reason, however, that I decided to respond in length is because this organization postures its attacks against the special procedures as a fight against anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism is a scourge. That's why we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Durban Declaration and its joint condemnation of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. But condemning the genocide in Gaza or the ethnic cleansing in the West Bank, it is not anti-Semitism. It is not Jewish hatred. On the contrary, denying the genocide while orchestrating a campaign of lies against the United Nations actually feeds the very venom of anti-Semitism. Thus, ironically, by result, UN Watch has become a champion of anti-Semitism. Finally, UN Watch accuses the Special Procedures of lacking transparency, when we are the most transparent body in the United Nations human rights system. Yet, they will not disclose their own funding. Many believe it is a GONGO, a government-organized NGO. Why not prove them wrong by revealing their source of funding? Until then, their rhetoric is hypocrisy and slander. I thank you, Mr. Vice-President.

Thank you. This brings us to the end of this interactive dialogue. I thank Mr. Khatru Gallos for his participation. We will now take a short break before holding the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights. Excellencies, distinguished colleagues, we will now hold the interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights. Let me welcome the new mandate holder, Ms. Zainah Jalal. The list of speakers will close in 15 minutes. I now give the floor to Ms. Jalad to present the reports.

Mr. Vice President, distinguished delegates, colleagues, it's a pleasure to be with you today on the occasion of my first interactive dialogue in the Human Rights Council as Special Rapporteur. This mandate, at its core, about the rights of ordinary people. including those who hold no political power and bear no responsibility for the conduct of their governments, who should not be made to bear the human cost of disputes between states, and about the guarantees owed to every person whom such measures reach. As unilateral coercive measures have proliferated over the past six decades, their cost has fallen disproportionately on people whom the measures were not intended to harm. Entire populations far removed from the political disputes that gave rise to the measures, and particularly persons in the most vulnerable circumstances. Over more than a decade, the previous mandate holders have built a substantial foundation for the protection of human rights impacted by these measures. However, the challenges identified have not diminished. These include the expansion and extraterritorial reach of the measures, the barriers in humanitarian action due to overcompliance, and the absence of an effective remedy for those impacted. This moment is one of pronounced strain on the multilateral order, with consequent effects for the work under the mandate. The world is increasingly witnessing an environment where sanctions are normalized. The legal standards that govern this architecture are brought into question, and affected populations are less able to count on the protective architecture that the multilateral system was designed to provide. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, let us reflect: what does this moment call for? To respond to this context, and drawing on insights from a diverse range of stakeholders and having taken stock of the mandate, I intend to deepen, systematize and extend the human rights-based approach developed. This approach will more closely connect to the universality of human rights, the everyday experiences of affected populations, the pathways through which harm is produced, and the obligation of prevention, access to justice, and effective remedy, as well as accountability. Because rights are enjoyed through the ordinary conditions of daily life, my thematic work will be organized around the systems that secure those conditions, including health and humanitarian action, education, access to information and scientific cooperation, digital infrastructure and technological access, finance, development, debt and sovereign assets, climate resilience, natural resources and disaster response, forced migration, the institution of justice and multilateral cooperation, and recovery after measures are lifted. The geographical scope will reflect the full range of contexts in which these measures have human rights consequences, also comprising less visible contexts, including regional sanctions, regimes, measures whose adverse effects are borne by third states or non-target populations, and patterns of economic coercion that receive limited scrutiny. I will further examine contemporary forms of unilateral measures that rely on private actors, produce extraterritorial effects, and generate significant spillover. Mr. Vice President, pathways to remedy and restitution must be ensured for affected persons and populations. I will treat remedy as the test of every other commitment, will give particular weight to due process and to new questions coming to the fore, including around the freezing and confiscation of assets, and will carry forward the normative work already before the Council. Humanitarian action must function when it matters most. Exemptions that exist on paper too often fail in crisis. I will engage with humanitarian organizations, financial institutions, and licensing authorities to ensure that assistance in emergencies moves at the speed of need and that the standing humanitarian exemption established by the Security Council finds its counterpart in unilateral practice. Measures that reverse development, depress growth, and push states deeper into debt determine the conditions of collective life for populations that have no voice in their adoption, and they engage the right of peoples to pursue their own economic, social, and cultural development. I intend to examine these effects, including the accumulation of debt under prolonged measures, as questions of self-determination and not only of economics. Restrictions on access to advanced technologies, including semiconductors, artificial intelligence, and digital connectivity infrastructure, increasingly determine access to the tools of modern economic and social life, and their human rights implications remain largely unexamined. Mr. Vice President, in my consultations with a broad range of interlocutors whose views otherwise diverge on the legality and utility of unilateral measures, overcompliance emerged as a constituent theme. This consistent theme, I see it as a possibility for an opening. No sanctioning state presents overcompliance as an objective of its policy. The problem can therefore be approached cooperatively, without prejudice to the broader disagreements that divide states. I will pursue structured dialogue, in particular with states, financial supervisory authorities, business associations, and humanitarian actors, on the causes of the practice of overcompliance and the means to correct it. Victim participation must be a constitutive feature of this mandate. rooting it firmly in human rights principles. Because unilateral measures extend across the full range of rights, I also look forward to working in close cooperation with other special procedure mandate holders on transversal issues that their mandates share, drawing on the knowledge accumulated across the system. To conclude, the record of the mandate documents the human cost of unilateral coercive measures. that can be counted in lives lost, in development gains reversed, and in futures narrowed. The violation of human rights is the reason the mandate exists, and reducing that human cost is the standard that will guide my work. Mr. Vice President, I now wish to say a few words about the report of my predecessor, Elena Dohan, on her official visit to Cuba. in November 2025 on her official country visit to Cuba. In her report, the report finds that six decades of overarching unilateral sanctions and their enforcement, often aggravated by extensive de-risking policies and overcompliance, have had a devastating impact on the Cuban population, particularly on persons living in poverty, women, children, older persons, persons with disabilities, and persons with chronic diseases. Cuba faces severe obstacles in access to fundamental rights as a consequence, particularly in relation to food, health, education, international cooperation, and humanitarian aid. and access to essential public services and infrastructure, including electricity generation, water distribution, housing, and transportation. The report highlights the use of maximum pressure campaigns, threats to third states, companies, and individuals, and the initial designation and subsequent redesignation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism. These measures run counter to the principle of sovereign equality of states and the principles of peaceful settlement of international disputes and of cooperation in good faith. The measures against Cuba are already unfolding into a full-blown humanitarian crisis. I join my predecessor in calling for lifting or suspending all unilateral coercive measures against Cuba. Mr. Vice President, I wish to conclude by expressing my profound concern regarding the escalating unilateral sanctions being deployed globally, from Cuba to Iran and beyond, and on officials and judges at the ICC, on my fellow Special Rapporteur, and on human rights defenders and organizations. We must keep collectively at the center of our focus the human cost of these measures and cooperate to alleviate the adverse impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights. I thank you, Mr. Vice-President.

Thank you. According to our practice, we will start by hearing from the delegation of the country concerned. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Cuba. You have five minutes.

Vice President, we appreciate the presentation from the rapporteur. The United States says that there is no energy blockade around Cuba. The report from the Special Rapporteur points at the liar. With solid evidence, the rapporteur has determined that this blockade is causing enormous damage. It is violating Cuban human rights, including the right to food, health, development, and the right to life. There cannot be greater cynicism than to blame this on other countries. The rapporteur indicates that the United States is lying when it pretends to blame Cuba for the consequences of its cruel actions. The rapporteur determined that despite the Cuban efforts to protect the population, the actions of the United States are of such a magnitude and persistence that they lead to a scarcity of essential goods and services in Cuban households. Washington says that its policy toward Cuba is legal. The exhaustive legal analysis of the rapporteur refutes this categorically. It shows that the blockade violates international law and invades the sovereignty and jurisdiction of other states. The report from the rapporteur is objective and fact-based. We support its recommendations. Cuba will comply with those that it must comply with. The United States should do the same. evaluation of the rapporteur is in step with that reported by many other mandate holders in this Council. None have defended the United States. All have called for an end to its siege of Cuba. Vice-President, the perverse goal and deliberate goal of the United States is to bring extreme dearth to families in Cuba. It seeks to bring about a humanitarian crisis in order to destabilize the country and reach its political goals. As a part of its maximum pressure plan, it is blocking petroleum access, and the humanitarian effect is devastating. More than 100,000 individuals are awaiting surgeries. The child death rate has doubled. The life expectancy of children with cancer has fallen from 80 to 60 percent. Behind these numbers, there are human beings. There is tremendous suffering for Cuban families. The artifice of this collective genocide and punishment are celebrating the suffering of a Cuban mother losing their child for lack of medication. They're pleased to see the prolonged power outages and the difficulties with water supply and other basic services. The civil servants in Washington, experts in strangling the Cuban people, have put into place also secondary sanctions against entities or persons in third-party countries for merely having ties to Cuba. More than 7,000 containers, many with food and medicine, remain stuck in many other countries. They cannot reach Cuba due to the intimidation against their ships, these ships. Cruelty knows no limits in this case. They will have to be accountable to history, and the Cuban people will not pardon them, will not forgive them. Vice President, Cuba is under the threat of military aggression. United States is reaching the absurd step of designating our small island as a threat to the security of this nuclear power. Cuba is not a threat. The blockade is. We do not want war, but if there is aggression, and we hope that that will never occur, our people will defend itself to the very end. Vice President, to be silent, given what is being done to Cuba, now is to undermine and weaken international order. Silence and indifference puts us all in danger. Cuba will not give up. We will move ahead. We will forge ahead with our own effort and with our own resources. We will be victorious because law and righteousness are on Cuba's side. Thank you very much.

Thank you. The list of speakers is now closed. I now invite interested delegations to ask questions to the Special Rapporteur and make comments on her report. Speaking time is one minute and 30 seconds for all. And I kindly ask delegations to respect the time limit as we are running behind. So accordingly, now I give the floor to the distinguished representative of the European Union.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. The EU takes note of the Special Rapporteur's report acknowledging that the differentiated analysis of measures should form the basis for the work of the mandate. It also refers to the reasons for adopting autonomous restrictive measures in terms of response to violations of international law. We agree that states should refrain from illegal unilateral measures. However, we disagree with the narrative that treats temporary, targeted, restrictive measures adopted in accordance with international law the same as illegal measures and arbitrary economic coercion. There is no general prohibition under international law of unilateral restrictive measures. When the UN's response to flagrant violations of international law is obstructed by the veto, we defend the UN Charter with peaceful and lawful autonomous measures. For example, the EU has designated individuals responsible for the deportation and forced transfer of Ukrainian children to Russia, but also extremist settlers and entities supporting settlement in the West Bank, as well as Hamas members. EU restrictive measures are designed to avoid unintended consequences, can be challenged in court, and have no extraterritorial application. To prevent overcompliance, existing guidance is available with broad humanitarian carve-outs. The EU and its member states remain the biggest donor of development and humanitarian assistance. Special Rapporteur, we remain ready to continue engaging with your mandate, including on overcompliance and comparative mapping of safeguards. Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Uganda on behalf of the Movement of Non-Aligned Countries.

Thank you, Mr. President. Uganda has the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement. At the outset, the NAM would like to congratulate Special Rapporteur Ms. Zeina Jalad upon the appointment to this important mandate and reassure her of our support through the execution of her mandate. The Movement thanks the Special Rapporteur for her detailed report following her visit to Cuba. We are deeply concerned at the devastating impact of the unilateral coercive measures on the Cuban population and their access to basic needs. These unilateral coercive measures have regrettably been intensified to extreme levels that completely erode the enjoyment of human rights by the Cuban people. The NAM takes note of the recommendations in the report and call for an immediate end to the economic, commercial, and financial blockade against the Cuban population, including the unfortunate blockade to fuel supplies that has made wide-ranging negative effect on people's access to most basic needs for human survival. Similarly, Nam rejects and objects to all unilateral coercive measures, including those measures used as tools for political or economic and financial pressure against any country, against developing countries, which violates the Charter of the United Nations and principles of international law. Finally, given the importance of this mandate, the NAM will therefore table a resolution to request the extension of this mandate for the next three years. We invite all Member States to support and adopt the resolution by consensus. Thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you. Kindly respect the time limit. now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Eritrea on behalf of a group of countries.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Eritrea has the honor to take the floor on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations. We welcome Special Rapporteur Zeina Jalad and wish her every success in discharging this important mandate. Unilateral coercive measures are illegal. They constitute a clear violation of the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and the basic norms of international law. In targeted countries, they have negative impact on the enjoyment and full realization of human rights, including the right to development, financial and technical assistance, technology transfer, and capacity building. The Group of Friends welcomes and supports the conclusions and recommendations contained in the Special Rapporteur's report on her official visit to Cuba. We reiterate our strong condemnation of the legal, economic, commercial, and financial blockade imposed by the United States against Cuba, which continues to have devastating consequences for the Cuban population. The Group of Friends once again urges States to refrain from promulgating and applying and to lift any unilateral economic, financial, or trade coercive measures that impede the full achievement of economic and social development. I thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Kenya on behalf of a group of African states.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. The African group thanks the Special Rapporteur for presenting her report to the Council and welcome her stock-taking and vision mapping exercise, which builds on the substantive work of her predecessors while charting a clear path forward for the mandate anchored in human rights. We value the emphasis on the lived realities of affected populations, including women, children, older persons, persons with disabilities, and persons living in poverty. We note with concern the evidence that UCMs and the overcompliance they often trigger amongst financial, commercial, and technological actors, and the devastating effects on the enjoyment of economic, social, cultural rights, as well as on development, food security, health, and education. We also take note of the Special Rapporteur's country visit and the related findings she has presented to the Council. We further recall the principles of the Charter of the United Nations, including the respect for territorial sovereignty, non-intervention, and the right of all people to self-determination. The African Group categorically rejects the use of unilateral coercive measures and calls upon all states to demonstrate solidarity and to strengthen cooperation to ensure that no country and no people are left behind in our collective pursuit of sustainable development. Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Belarus.

Thank you, Mr. Deputy President. We welcome Ms. Jilad and we thank her for the update on the development of her mandate, and we call on her to take into consideration the following: the extent of the impact of unilateral coercive measures does not allow us to agree that sanctions imposed by governments have the purpose of of achieving a deterioration of, or do not attempt to deteriorate the quality of life of the persons in countries who are under unilateral coercive measures. That is the goal. It is important to immediately put an end to the negative impact of the unilateral coercive measures, which can be done by putting an end to that unlawful practice. It is important for the mandate to move forward recommendations as a result of her visits, including the important recommendations to stop the trade and economic sanctions and blockade against Cuba, to uphold the sovereignty of the Cuban state and people. We also welcome your aim to put an end to these sanctions against the most vulnerable countries imposed by developed countries. Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. The Islamic Republic of Iran welcomes Ms. Zeine Jalal as the new Special Rapporteur and appreciates her priorities. Mother Special Rapporteur, As UN experts have observed, unilateral coercive measures constitute a colonial enterprise, undermining the basic conditions for peace in targeted countries. They are instruments of coercion that erode sovereign equality and people's right to self-determination. Iran's experience demonstrates the dangerous convergence of economic and military coercion. Following the military aggression against our country, the United States has announced what it calls economic warfare and the toughest sanctions in history, threatening Iran's economic partners while maintaining a naval blockade. These measures form part of a broader strategy to weaken an independent and resilient nation. The findings of the report on the visit to Cuba further demonstrate the devastating human consequences of such policies. No political objective can justify subjecting entire populations to economic coercion or making their fundamental rights conditional upon submission to the demands of another state. The right to life is not a bargaining chip, and the right of peoples to self-determination is not a privilege to be granted or withdrawn by powerful states. Both must be respected without exception. Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ethiopia.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Ethiopia thanks the Special Rapporteur for her comprehensive report on her visit to Cuba and commends the government of Cuba for its comprehensive cooperation and engagement with the mandate during the visit. Ethiopia takes note of the report's findings regarding the adverse humanitarian and socio-economic consequences of unilateral coercive measures and their broader impact on the enjoyment human rights, particularly by vulnerable groups. We remain concerned that such measures, including their extraterritorial effects and overcompliance, can adversely affect the access to food, health, education, essential services, and development, while also creating obstacles to international cooperation and humanitarian assistance. Ethiopia affirms its principled position that human rights should not be undermined by the measures that restrict legitimate economic and development opportunities or impede international cooperation. We also emphasize the importance of ensuring that humanitarian assistance, development cooperation, financial transaction, and access to essential goods and services are not unduly impeded, particularly when vulnerable populations are affected. In closing, Ethiopia firmly maintains that unilateral coercive measures are incompatible with the purpose and principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law. I thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.

Gracias.

Thank you, Vice President. Venezuela appreciates the presentation of the report from the Special Rapporteur. We recognize the importance of continuing to considering with objectivity and rigor the negative consequences of the UCMs on the effective enjoyment of human rights. We take note of the visit from your predecessor, a country that has the visit to Cuba which has determined that there are many six decades of blockade which have limited the capacity of states to address the ability of the needs of the people particularly in the key areas such as health, education and public services. and development. Venezuela believes the difference in states must address the dialogue and cooperation and full respect for the charter, making sure that the content of these negative consequences are not suffered by the people. We call for the lifting of UCMs and the strengthening of international cooperation that is genuine and based on mutual respect, sovereign equality, and a search for solutions that are constructive. We also believe it is necessary to continue to strengthen the work of this mandate. Thank you very much.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Sri Lanka.

Mr. President, Sri Lanka welcomes the report presented to this Council pursuant to the visit to Cuba by the Special Rapporteur on unilateral coercive measures. Sri Lanka remains deeply concerned by the continued use of unilateral coercive measures on Member States, which are contrary to the principles enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations and international law. It is evident that such measures have a negative effect on the human rights and well-being of populations. Mr. President, we note with concern the impact on the energy, food, and agricultural sectors of countries as a result of unilateral coercive measures. We are particularly alarmed about the challenges faced by the health sector in obtaining medical supplies, vaccines, and essential equipment, especially during public health emergencies. The strength and resilience shown by the people should not be an excuse to continue to deprive them of the same opportunities for development and prosperity as those enjoyed by the people in other member states. The right of every individual, including right to health, food, and education, must be fully respected and protected. Madam rapporteur, as you begin your tenure, how do you intend to strengthen constructive engagement with states imposing electoral measures? particularly regarding the human rights impact and the timely lifting of measures that cause disproportionate harm to civilian populations. Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Mozambique.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. My delegation aligns itself with the statement delivered by the African Group, welcomes the new special rapporteur And thanks, uh, for the report regarding the visit to Cuba, we are particularly concerned about the devastating effects of unilateral coercive measures on persons living in poverty. women, children, older persons, persons with disabilities, and persons living with chronic diseases. These measures can disproportionately affect the most vulnerable populations and may further hinder the development efforts of developing countries. In this regard, Mozambique reaffirms that unilateral coercive measures imposed outside the framework of the United Nations Security Council resolutions contrary to the principles of international law, undermine state sovereignty, and may adversely impact the enjoyment of human rights. We call upon all states to refrain from imposing or enforcing such measures and to support international efforts aimed at lifting all unilateral coercive measures and sanctions that disproportionately burden and cause hardship to innocent civilian populations. In closing, we encourage the Special Rapporteur to continue assessing the human rights and development consequences of UCM and promote greater international dialogue towards mitigating their adverse effects. I thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Equatorial Guinea.

Thank you, Vice-President. The delegation of Equatorial Guinea thanks the Special Rapporteur for the report. We take due note of the conclusions and recommendations, and in particular those that have to do with the blockade, the impact of the blockade, and the UCM's on the living conditions of the Cuban population. We are particularly concerned over the difficulties indicated in essential areas such as health, education, and the access to medical supplies, as well as the effect on the most vulnerable sectors of the population. In this context, Sen. Guillen believes it is necessary to encourage a constructive dialogue between the United States of America and the Republic of Cuba. After decades of differences, we believe that a better rapprochement can allow both countries to see, have opportunities for understanding, cooperation, and exchange that are mutually beneficial to their populations. Our delegation encourages both countries to explore new dialogues and understanding that can allow for progression to more stable, cooperative, and relations based on well-being for their people. Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Guyana.

Mr. Vice President, we wish to thank the Special Rapporteur for the report. We take note of the devastating impact of unilateral coercive measures from both a humanitarian and an economic standpoint. acknowledging that UCMs may also have extraterritorial effects and hinder the achievement of sustainable development goals. We therefore support the work of the Special Rapporteur to keep in view the relationship between UCM and the right of people to self-determination, including to freely pursue economic, social and cultural development, affirmed in common article 1 of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights and the International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural rights. To strengthen the coordination of emergency humanitarian assistance by the United Nations body, Guyana supports the view that UCMs should be aligned with the guiding principles of humanitarian assistance set out in the UN General Assembly resolutions for 6, 1, 8, 2, 5, 8, 1, 1, 4, to ensure that existing humanitarian exemptions are effectively implemented, allowing from unimpeded access of humanitarian goods. In closing, Guyana would like to reiterate the importance of the obligations on the U.N. Charter, adhering to the principles and norms of international law to mitigate the negative effects of you seem to thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Zimbabwe.

Mr. President, Zimbabwe welcomes the new Special Rapporteur on the UCMs and assures you of our support and cooperation. We appreciate the report by the Special Rapporteur and the sterling work done in exposing the true negative impact of UCMs. In Zimbabwe, UCMs have brought untold economic and social suffering, negatively impacting on the full enjoyment of human rights by the ordinary citizens. UCMs have impeded Zimbabwe's ability to engage in international financial institutions. thereby impeding our access to crucial development funds. We have lived through the experiences in the report, where the consequences of UCMs have affected those least able to absorb them, affecting their basic rights to food, health and education. We appreciate this report of the Special Rapporteur on her predecessor's visit to Cuba. The devastating effect of UCMs on the Cuban population, especially women, children, older persons, persons with disabilities persons with chronic disease is appalling. UCMs have prevented Cuba from accessing the necessary resources needed to develop and maintain essential infrastructure, have access to food and to international financial institutions. We call on Western countries to refrain from weaponizing UCMs as they have created unnecessary suffering and inequalities among nations. I thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Cabo Verde.

Thank you, Vice-President. Cabo Verde thanks the Special Rapporteur, Madame Zianna Jalad, for the report. We take good note of the conclusions and recommendations, and we wish full success in the discharge of the mandate. We note, however, with concern that despite the efforts deployed over recent decades, the UCMs and their negative effects on the populations and the development of countries continues. We reaffirm that all measures of international pressure should respect fully the international law, the UN Charter, and international obligations in the area of human rights. We also note the important visits of the Special Rapporteur in the countries concerned. This allows for to see on site the consequences of these measures and to make appropriate recommendations. We wish to, in particular, mention Cuba, present in this session and the report from the recent country visits by the Special Rapporteur to that country, Cabo Verde, reiterates its call to all States to abstain from imposing UCMs. And two, and to refrain from extraterritorial implementation of the national legislation that can undermine commerce and development, and in particular in developing countries. Cabo Verde reaffirms its firm attachment to multilateralism, the UN Charter, international law, and the universal promotion of human rights. I thank you kindly.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Angola.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Angola welcomes the Special Rapporteur and thanks her to the report presented. Angola aligns with the statement on behalf of NAM and Africa Group. We value this mandate as an important framework for assessing the impact of unilateral coercive measures on populations, resilience, and development. Angola reiterates its concern regarding broad economic and sectorial sanctions imposed outside the framework of United Nations Charter. Their cumulative effects can disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, increasing food prices, restricting access to medicines and essential services, and undermining progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. In this regard, Angola remains concerned by the socio-economic challenges facing Cuba, where the long-standing economic, commercial, and financial embargo compounded by extreme weather events and other vulnerabilities continues to affect the enjoyment of human rights and development prospects. We therefore encourage states to consider our unilateral measures where their effects aggravate humanitarian needs or disproportionately affect population. Thank you, Mr. Vice-President.

Thank you so much. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Malawi.

Mr. Vice-President, Malawi welcomes the Special Rapporteur and Malawi aligns itself with the African Group statement. and thanks the Special Rapporteur for her report, which provides a status update on unilateral coercive measures and sets out the strategic direction in which she will carry out her mandate. The Special Rapporteur has indicated in her report that the concept of framing of her work will keep in view the relationship between UCMs and the right of peoples to self-determination, including the right to freely pursue their economic, social, and cultural development, as affirmed in common Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights. Malawi concurs with the Special Rapporteur that self-determination is fundamentally linked to freedom of choice and the ability of peoples to determine their own development priorities free from external coercion. Malawi commends the Special Rapporteur for the human rights-based and participatory approach which she has taken and stands ready to participate in any consultations under her direction. I thank you, Mr. Vice-President.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Namibia.

Thank you very much, Mr. Vice-President.

Namibia aligns itself to the statement delivered by Kenya on behalf of the African Group.

We appreciate the Special Rapporteur for the detailed report on the negative impact of UCMs imposed by the United States of America on the people of Cuba. Cuba has been and continues to call on the United States of America to end its UCMs on Cuba. We welcome the Special Rapporteur's finding that United States UCMs are against Cuba violated numerous international legal norms, reaffirming the illegality of these UCMs.

We further welcome the findings that these UCMs severely undermine.

Cuba's ability to fulfill its human rights obligation, including undermining key principle of the UN Charter that is, among others, international cooperation and the right to sustainable development. This underscores our long-held position that UCMs are merely a tool for collective punishment against citizens of targeted states, as well as citizens of third states, due to their extraterritorial nature. The UN Charter puts all states on equal footing, and UCMs go against this principle by undermining sovereign equality. Namibia reiterates its call for the United States of America to lift its UCMs on Cuba. I thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of Lao People's Democratic Republic.

Mr. Wright, President, my delegation thank the Special Rapporteur for presenting the report regarding the visit to Cuba. We appreciate the effort to fulfilling mandate by monitoring and assessing the negative impact of generational coercive measure on the enjoyment of human right. The La Piedad reaffirmed its opposition to the UCM, such a measure impact the fundamental human right, including the right to life, health, education, development, and necessary social services. Moreover, UCM are contrary to international law and principle in the United Charter. In this regard, the Lapidia once again joined the international community in the calling for the end of the economic, commercial, and financial embargo against all the country, and the lifting of the unilateral coercive measure imposed on the sovereign state, as well as upholding the United Nations Charter and international law. In conclusion, we call upon solidarity and a constructive dialogue to promote mutual understanding, address global challenges, foster peaceful and sustainable solution. I thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Uganda.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Uganda aligns with the statement of the NAM. We warmly congratulate and welcome Ms. Saina Jalad upon the appointment to this important mandate and reassure her of our support through the execution of her mandate. My government maintains a principled position on unilateral coercive measures. Unilateral coercive measures in the form of economic and secondary sanctions have far-reaching implications on the enjoyment of human rights by the general population of targeted states, disproportionately affecting the poor and persons in the most vulnerable situations. We underline that under no circumstances should people be deprived of their own means of subsistence and development, and therefore call upon all states to avoid the unilateral imposition of economic coercive measures. and the extraterritorial application of domestic laws that largely affect the developing countries and access to basic human rights. Finally, Mr. President, we echo our call upon all states to avoid the in-lato imposition of in-lato coercive measures and the extraterritorial application of domestic laws that run counter to the principles of free trade and hamper the development of developing countries. I thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Indonesia.

Mr. Vice-President, we congratulate Madame Special Rapporteur on assuming her mandate and thanks her for the report. The continued application of UCMs reflects a troubling pattern in international law and international human rights system. We reaffirm our principal rejection of UCMs, which are illegal and negatively impact the full enjoyment of human rights. The human toll of UCMs is staggering, with studies associating unilateral sanctions with an estimated 38 million excess annual deaths over recent decades. Too often, human rights are invoked to justify measures driven by strategic interests and geopolitical objectives, rather than to genuinely protect the people. The situation in Cuba demonstrates how prolonged UCMs have caused widespread and structural hardship on its people, severely undermining their human rights, including the right to development. Indonesia stands in solidarity with the government and people of Cuba and reiterates its call for the immediate, complete, and unconditional lifting of the embargo imposed by the US. We underline that all states share a responsibility to contribute to an international environment conducive to the realization of all human rights. We encourage the SR to continue documenting the human rights impact of UCMs and secondary sanctions, including on third states and in the context of humanitarian settings. I thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Zambia.

Thank you, Vice President.

Zambia aligns with the statements on behalf of the NAM and the Africa Group. Zambia reaffirms the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, including sovereign equality of states, international cooperation, and peaceful settlement of disputes. We remain concerned that unilateral coercive measures, particularly where their effects extend beyond intended targets, adversely affect ordinary people and constrain sustainable development. For developing countries, restrictions affecting financial systems, trade, technology, essential goods and development financing can compound debt distress, poverty and limit fiscal space. Their extraterritorial effects may further disrupt regional trade and value chains, affecting countries and populations with no connection to the underlying dispute. Zambia, therefore, underscores that measures pursued in international relations should not undermine human rights or impede the right to development. We encourage greater recourse to dialogue, multilateral cooperation, and peaceful settlement of disputes consistent with the UN Charter. I thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Burkina Faso.

Mr. Vice-President, my delegation aligns itself with the statement of the African Group. In our national capacity, we would like to make the following comments. My delegation recalls that unilateral coercive measures are contrary to international law, to international humanitarian law, to the UN Charter, as well as to the norms and principles governing peaceful relations between states. perspective, we welcome the efforts made by the Special Rapporteur within the framework of her work to document the adverse impact of unilateral coercive measures on the enjoyment of human rights. We are of the view that these measures are unlawful and compromise the enjoyment of fundamental rights and the achievements of development. Their negative effects do not spare either the state under sanctions or the state that is imposing the sanctions, as well as the neighboring states or even beyond. These measures are productive, increase the suffering and precariousness of vulnerable populations of countries who are the victims of such measures, and further deteriorate the humanitarian situations and human rights. To conclude, we take note of the recommendations and conclusions of the Special Rapporteur regarding Cuba and wish her the best of success. Thank you.

Thank you. I give the floor to the distinguished representative of Botswana.

Mr. Vice President, Botswana welcomes the Special Rapporteur's report and affirms that unilateral coercive measures remain one of the most persistent and harmful obstacles to the full enjoyment of human rights. We believe that UCMs are contrary to the principles of sovereign equality and the peaceful settlement of disputes. UCMs fragment international cooperation, distort global supply chains, and undermine the ability of states to meet their human rights obligations. We further affirm that unilateral coercive measures are incompatible with the UN Charter and with a rules-based multilateral system. We are of the view that UCMs do not advance dialogue, but erode trust. They do not promote human rights, but rather impede them. We strongly believe that multilateralism grounded in cooperation, respect for international law, and collective problem solving is the only legitimate avenue for addressing international concerns. This honor therefore calls for strengthened multilateral engagement grounded in dialogue and cooperation, and for the creation of conditions that enable sustainable development and hindered humanitarian access and the protection and dignity of affected populations. I thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Cambodia.

Mr. Vice President, Cambodia take note of the report of the Special Rapporteur on the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on human rights in Cuba. Cambodia recognize that coercive economic measures, including unilateral sanctions, may adversely affect economic and social development, particularly in developing country. Cambodia is concerned about the potential humanitarian and socioeconomic impact of such measures, particularly on access to essential resources, healthcare and economic opportunity, and their implications for the enjoyment of human rights. Cambodia encourages States to address differences through dialogue and cooperation, and to refrain from measures that may hinder the achievement of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. that we do that any sanction imposed against a state should be implied within the framework of the United Nations with new consideration for their potential negative impact on human rights, in particular the right to development. I thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Sudan. H.E.

Mr. Mohamed Osman Nasir of Sudan.

Thank you, Vice President, and we wish to welcome the Special Rapporteur, Zine Jalal. We applaud the efforts of her successor, Dohan. We reaffirm our support for her mandate and underscore its importance. We took note of the report on the evaluation of the present and the future and regarding her visit to Cuba and the findings of the report. The negative impacts of the UCMs should not be controversial because these are measures are of a political and economic nature and impact the rights of people to enjoy their economic, social, and cultural rights because it increases unemployment, poverty, and impedes access to international assistance and the flow of foreign investment. UCM has prevented some people from access because it prevents them from investing into agriculture and livestock. It impedes supply chains because it implies restraints on investment. The measures which are imposed indirectly by a third country or through commercial institutions In order to avoid possible sanctions by the first countries, we call for lifting these kinds of sanctions and improving their effects and a call for further cooperation. Thank you, Vice President.

To the distinguished representative of Vietnam.

Mr. Vice President, we congratulate the Special Rapporteur on her appointment and wish her every success in preparing her mandate. Vietnam also thanks the Special Rapporteur for presenting the report on the visit to Cuba, and appreciate Cuba's constructive engagement with the mandate. We reaffirm our enduring friendship and steadfast solidarity with the brotherly Cuban people, and deeply sympathize with the hardships they face. The report highlights how unilateral coercive measures and overcompliance undermine access to food, healthcare, and essential services. particularly for vulnerable groups. We commend Cuba's continued efforts to protect its people's rights under such harsh conditions. We now reiterate its opposition to unilateral coercive measures inconsistent with international law and the United Nations Charter. We uphold sovereign equality, respect for national independence, and the right of every country to determine its development path. We renew our call for the lifting of the embargo against Cuba in accordance with relevant General Assembly resolutions, and support the report's recommendations on ensuring access to essential goods. We encourage dialogue and diplomatic engagement to resolve differences, and greater international cooperation to help Cuba overcome its difficulties and advance sustainable development. I thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President.

My delegation takes note of the report of the Special Rapporteur and shares the concern of the devastating impact of unilateral coercive measures on the human rights and daily lives of the Cuban people.

For more than six decades, the United States has imposed extensive economic, trade, and financial sanctions against Cuba. severely affecting access to food, medicines, healthcare, education, energy, and other basic necessities.

Such measures undermine sovereign equality, non-interference in the internal affairs of states, and international cooperation in good faith.

Their extraterritorial application against third states and their companies has no basis in international law.

The international community must not tolerate the United States' egregious coercion and high-handed conduct. The United States must immediately lift all unilateral coercive measures against Cuba.

We express our solidarity with the Cuban people and will actively join international efforts to safeguard their human rights and fundamental freedoms.

I thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Algeria.

Thank you.

We would like to

thank the Special Rapporteur for her reports, and we concur with her that excessive compliance with unilateral coercive measures is fraught with risk as it impacts human rights and the quality of life of local populations. In our view, UCMs violate the UN Charter, international law, and the principle of sovereign equality and non-interference in the domestic affair of states. Algeria is of the view that a constructive dialogue and the separation from unilateral thinking is the best way to ensure solidarity between peoples and stability with regard to humanitarian, economic and social impact of unilateral coercive measures imposed on the Cuban people, in particular women and children. This siege in fact, has impeded the government from achieving the 2030 development goals and undermines human rights, in particular the right to life and development. Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Rwanda.

Mr. Vice President, Rwanda aligns itself with the statement delivered by Kenya on behalf of the African Group and thanks the Special Rapporteur for her report with valuable insights into the human rights implications of unilateral coercive measures. We take note of the report's concerns regarding second-round extraterritorial effects, which can impose significant costs on populations that have no role in the political disputes giving rise to such measures. For developing countries, these effects can extend beyond humanitarian consequences to trade, access to finance and technology, debt sustainability, and the broader realization of the right to development. Rwanda, therefore, encourages the Special Rapporteur to further develop differentiated, evidence-based assessments of these impacts, including in the context of developing countries. In conclusion, Mr. Vice President, and maintains that multilateral cooperation and dialogue remain the most sustainable means of addressing differences while protecting human rights and preserving development gains. I thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of South Africa.

Mr. Vice President. South Africa aligns itself with the statement delivered on behalf of the Africa Group and thanks the Special Rapporteur for the presentation of her first report. South Africa remains deeply concerned that unilateral coercive measures continue to undermine the enjoyment of human rights, particularly the rights to health, food, development and adequate standards of living. Their effects are often compounded by over-compliance by financial institutions, businesses and humanitarian actors, thereby extending their impact beyond those formally targeted. We are particularly concerned by the devastating humanitarian and socio-economic consequences of prolonged unilateral economic, commercial and financial measures on the people of Cuba, including their impact on access to essential goods, medicines, medical equipment and financial services. Furthermore, we are concerned about the extraterritorial application of UCMs, which deter third country trade and investment and undermine the expansion of mutually beneficial relations, including with South Africa. We encourage the Special Rapporteur to strengthening evidence-based monitoring and to engage states, civil society and affected communities in documenting their impacts. Finally, South Africa reaffirms that international cooperation, multilateralism and respect for the purpose and principles of the UN Charter remains essential to addressing global challenges. I thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Pakistan.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. My delegation welcomes the Special Rapporteur and thanks her for presenting her stock-taking report. Pakistan has consistently maintained that UCMs contravene the UN Charter and entail considerable human rights consequences. The resort to UCMs in pursuit of foreign policy goals remains a matter of concern, especially with increasing evidence indicating that such measures undermine enjoyment of several interrelated human rights by affected people. Sanctions must only be implemented with authorization of the UN Security Council with adequate safeguards for humanitarian needs and human rights. UCMs often have negative effects that impact the entire population. The heaviest consequences of UCMs fall on those least able to bear them, including women, children, the elderly, and those in extreme poverty. We have taken note of the report of the country visit by the previous mandate holder to the Republic of Cuba, we affirm Pakistan's sympathy with Cuba amidst the humanitarian and human rights consequences of the economic, financial, and commercial embargo. Mr. Vice President, in addition to sanctions, unilateralism and coercion are being normalized in the conduct of foreign policy. We invite the Special Rapporteur to evaluate this concerning trend. consistent with her mandate. I thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Mexico.

Gracias, senor.

Thank you, Vice President. We thank the Special Rapporteur for the report on the Cuba visit by her predecessor, as well as thanking the mission of Cuba for the additional information provided. Mexico rejects UCMs imposed on Cuba. And we reaffirm that in step with our humanist tradition and solidarity, we will continue to provide assistance to address the basic and urgent needs of the Cuban population. We express our extreme concern over the ever more restrictive unilateral measures taken against the Cuban people, as well as regards the humanitarian impact and the impact on human rights. These measures go against international law and come to an end, it should come to an end as soon as possible. Since February 2026, Mexico has provided humanitarian support to Cuba. This includes food, medicine, medical equipment, and electric equipment. We continue to move ahead with bilateral cooperation in the area of health and development, including with medication through the Sewing Life program. Mexico will continue to prioritize dialogue and international cooperation and those actions aimed at addressing the needs of the Cuban population. We will do so in step with our principles in foreign policy and with full respect for international law. Thank you very much.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Ghana.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Ghana thanks the Special Rapporteur for her timely and substantive report. We align with the statement delivered by the African Group. The report is a stark reminder that unilateral coercive measures are not without human consequences. Their effects extend beyond their intended targets, reaching ordinary people and undermining the enjoyment of fundamental human rights. Ghana maintains that unilateral coercive measures should not be used as instruments of political or economic pressure. Such measures, particularly when applied extraterritorially or accompanied by overcompliance, can disrupt access to food, healthcare, education, finance, and humanitarian assistance. These disruptions further constrain the development prospects of affected countries. Ghana therefore calls for the lifting of unilateral coercive measures that adversely affect the enjoyment of human rights and reiterate our call for the immediate lifting of the long-standing embargo against Cuba. No population should bear the human cost of political disputes between states. I thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Eritrea.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Eritrea welcomes the new special rapporteur and wishes her every success in the discharge of her mandate. Eritrea speaks on this issue not only as a matter of principle, but from direct experience. For years, Eritrea has been subjected to restrictive measures imposed in a highly politicized context with serious implications for its economic development, access to finance, trade, investment, and international cooperation. Our experience demonstrates that coercive measures re- rarely remain confined to their stated political objectives. Their effects can cascade through financial institutions, commercial actors, and development partners, producing overcompliance, de-risking, and restrictions that ultimately affect ordinary people and impede the enjoyment of economic and social rights. The OIT therefore encourages the mandate to give particular attention to the commutative and long term effects of coercive measures, including their extraterritorial application and consequences for development. Our question to the Special Rapporteur is: Continuing the excellent work of the previous Special Rapporteur, what tangible mechanisms do you intend to establish to ensure that the experiences of affected countries, including Eritrea, are systematically documented and that those affected have access to effective accountability, remedies and redress? I thank you, Mr. Vice-President.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the Distinguished Representative of China.

Vice President, China notes the SR's report, taking stock of the work of her predecessors and setting out future direction. We note the report of the visit to Cuba and support conclusions and recommendations therein, calling the international community to abide by the GA resolutions and to respect Cuba's sovereignty and people's human rights. UCMs are and constitute outright hegemonism and power politics. They blatantly violate UN Charter's purposes and principles and undermine multilateralism and the foundation of international rule of law, as well as the right to life and to development of people of countries concerned. Certain countries have appalling human rights record, yet use UCMs at will on the basis of their domestic law to violate human rights in the name of democracy, jeopardizing multilateralism. As an important member of the global south and a victim of UCMs, China stands ready to strengthen cooperation with all parties, including the UN human rights mechanism, to eliminate negative impact of UCMs across the world, and to jointly promote a sound development of the international human rights cause. Thank you, President.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Iraq.

Thank you, Vice President. We thank the rapporteur for the reports, and we appreciate the update on the work of her predecessor over the previous 11 years as well. She has also made clear in the report the future orientation of the mandate, focusing on the most vulnerable situations. We have noted with concern the widening scope of the work and the humanitarian costs that come, including infant mortality and the deaths of newborns in the targeted states, we are concerned, as is the Special Rapporteur, on the issue of compliance. and the impact on third-party countries as well that have nothing to do with these conflicts. In conclusion, we are willing to strengthen dialogue and international cooperation and preserve human rights and the dignity of people with respect for sovereignty and sovereign equality. We wish the Special Rapporteur full success in the discharge of her mandate.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Uruguay.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Uruguay thanks the Special Rapporteur for the reports, and in particular the report on the visit to Cuba. It tells of the devastating effects on the Cuban population of the UCMs. We welcome the focus proposed by the rapporteur for the mandate and the emphasis on a differentiated analysis that is evidence-based as regards the repercussions of UCMs on human rights. We are concerned in particular over the difficulties that these measures could create when it comes to access to food, medication, and medical equipment, and other essential goods and services, as well as when it comes to humanitarian aid and action, Uruguay reaffirms the importance of addressing these matters through dialogue, cooperation, and a full respect for international law, recalling at the same time the primordial responsibility of all states to respect, protect, and guarantee human rights. Madame Rapporteur, what measures, concrete measures, can be taken by relevant stakeholders to ensure the effective operation of humanitarian support. Thank you very much.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Canada.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. Sanctions are based on international law, including the UN Charter. They constitute a legitimate means to contribute to peace, strengthen the protection of civilians and human rights. The issue is not that they are punitive efforts, but rather efforts of last resort. They aim to foster responsibility and remove prejudice. We oppose the use of such tools to undermine the supply chains for the purposes of intimidation and coercion, we are resolved to ensure that such sanctions do not impede the delivery of humanitarian assistance. Therefore, we guarantee explicit humanitarian aid delivery in order to ensure that food and medications reach those in need. Sanctions are responsive and entirely reversible. They may be cancelled in response to changes or improvements, as we have indeed done with regard to Syria earlier. We are engaged in a constructive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur, which we look forward to.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of the State of Palestine.

Thank you, Mr. President. The State of Palestine congratulates Special Rapporteur Zeina Jalad on her appointment and wishes her every success in discharging this mandate. We assure her of our full support and cooperation. We welcome her first report and its human rights-based approach. Israel, the occupying power, has imposed an illegal and inhumane blockade on Gaza for over 19 years, a severe act of collective punishment that continues to create conditions of life so unlivable as to perpetuate the killing of Palestinians. This Council's own commission of inquiry has cited Israel's total siege, including blocking humanitarian aid, leading to starvation, as part of a pattern from which genocidal intent was, I quote, the only reasonable inference, unquote. Israel must immediately lift the blockade, end its genocide, end its illegal occupation, and make full reparation. As the Special Rapporteur begins her mandate, we would welcome her views on what mechanisms can be put in place to protect the most vulnerable groups from the adverse effects of unilateral coercive measures and how affected populations can best contribute to her work. Mr. President, we also thank Special Rapporteur Elena Duhane for her report on Cuba, which has suffered a suffocating six-decade-long embargo restricting medicines, spare parts, and equipment, with the sharpest cost falling on children, the sick, older persons, and the poor. support the report's conclusions and recommendations. The illegal blockade on Cuba must end. I thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the distinguished representative of Brazil.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Brazil reaffirms its principal stance that unilateral coercive measures violate international law. As the Special Rapporteur correctly highlights, The proliferation of these measures erodes the multilateral order and impairs international cooperation, including humanitarian assistance. Today, UCMs are even targeted against democratic institutions and UN mechanisms, including the ICC and special procedures of this Council. We welcome the rapporteur's emphasis on a human rights-based participatory approach addressing the extraterritorial impact on third states and the structural failures of humanitarian exemptions. Previous reports of this mechanism, including on Cuba, illustrate the severe human cost of this practice. Unilateral sanctions compounded by financial overcompliance undermine essential public services, food security, and the right to health, particularly to vulnerable populations. In this regard, Brazil expresses deep concern over the severe humanitarian crisis affecting the Cuban people, calls for an end to the embargo, and urges that necessary measures be taken to alleviate the situation and to prevent actions that worsen living conditions and violate international law. I thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you. This was the last speaker we could accommodate for this dialogue. Now we shall turn to the list of speakers for national human rights institutions and non-governmental organizations. So I now give the floor to the representative of Organization for Defending Victims of Violence intervention by video.

Mr. President, we welcome the appointment

of the new Special Rapporteur on Unilateral Coercive Measures and wish her every success in advancing this important mandate. Their mandate begins at a particularly critical moment. The situation of Iran demonstrates that unilateral coercive measures can no longer be examined in isolation from other forms of coercion. Following military aggressions, that have left more than 30,000 people killed or injured, the United States has intensified what it itself describes as an economic D-Day against Iran, targeting oil exports, shipping networks, financial transactions, and third-country companies and partners doing business with the country. This raises a fundamental human rights concern. When military force and economic coercion target the same population, their effects

become cumulative.

Destruction caused by hostilities, compounded by sanctions on trade, finance, and essential sectors, can deepen civilian suffering, obstruct recovery, and undermine economic and social rights. Mr. President, we encourage the new Special Rapporteur to examine the cumulative human rights impacts of sanctions and armed conflict, including the extraterritorial effects of secondary sanctions and overcompliance on humanitarian access and recovery. Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the representative of International Association of Democratic Lawyers for a joint statement, intervention by video.

IADL, SETIM and the American Association of Jurists welcome the new Special Rapporteur and look forward to working with her. We thank her for presenting the report on Cuba. The report confirms the devastating human rights impact of the UCMs imposed by the United States. Their extraterritorial application, compounded by widespread overcompliance, further restricts Cuba's access to essential goods and vital services, causing severe harm to the Cuban people. For more than six decades, the US has maintained and intensified these unlawful measures to isolate Cuba and coerce it to bend to its will, in grave violation of international law and in total disregard of repeated calls from the international community to end them. We urge the US to immediately and conditionally lift all UCMs against Cuba, remove Cuba from the list of state sponsors of terrorism, rescind all related unlawful listings, and alter the criminalization of solidarity with Cuba. We call on member states not to recognize or facilitate the extraterritorial application of these measures and to ensure that trade and financial transactions with Cuba can proceed without obstruction in accordance with international law. We call on the Special Rapporteur to keep Cuba high on the mandate's agenda, and we stand ready to support our efforts to uphold the international law and secure implementation of the report's recommendations. Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the representative of Cuban Association of Animal Production.

Thank you.

Thank you, Vice President. The worsening of the blockade has brought a negative impact on the agricultural system in Cuba, and in particular, the agricultural livestock and campesino cooperatives. This affects production of food for population. It has a devastating effect on the right to food for the Cuban people, and therefore on the right to health and to life. The millions in losses as a result of the blockade of United States affects the cooperatives and campesinos of Cuba. This is up to $273 million between March 2022 and February 2024. In only 2025, the losses were almost 50% more than the previous period. The blockade impedes the right to inputs. replacement spare parts for machines, tractors, harvesters, and other transportation equipment that's paralyzed as they are obsolete, as well as feed, soy, corn for animals, as well as chemicals that are needed to fight pests. The industrial processes are also affected. The blockade prevents fuel, fats, and other materials that are necessary for our system. The blockade also impedes exports of campesinos, and this is something that we see with tobacco, for example.

I now give the floor to the representative of International Network of Human Rights and Rule of Law for a joint statement.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. We thank the Special Rapporteur for the report on the human rights impact of unilateral coercive measures. We wish to draw attention to how such measures, including prescription regimes imposed by Western states, continue to affect the Eelam Tamil people's struggle for self-determination. The European Union's continued listing of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, LTTE, as a terrorist entity has remained in place, despite the General Court of the European Union annulling the Council's listing decisions on two separate occasions, in 2014 and again in 2018. finding the legal basis inadequate. Notwithstanding these rulings, the prescription has persisted, restricting the political, humanitarian and advocacy activists of the Tamil diaspora and criminalizing legitimate expressions of the demand for self-determination. We therefore ask the Special Rapporteur, in light of these judicial findings, how can Eelam Tamils meaningfully exercise their right to self-determination as an enshrined in Article 1 of the UN Charter and Article 1 of the ICCPR, when their political representation remains prescribed and their diaspora activism curtailed by unilateral coercive measures. We further request that the mandate consider preparing a dedicated report examining the impact of unilateral coercive measures imposed by Western states on Tamil human rights defenders, including surveillance, asset freezes, travel restrictions.

I now give the floor to the representative of Institute for Policy Studies. Thank you.

TNI and the team are deeply and increasingly concerned about the unilateral, illegal, and illegitimate embargo imposed by the United States of America on Cuba. Last January, this embargo was transformed into a total blockade, which prevents Cuba from importing any oil. This blockade is enforced through the deployment of US armed forces and economic sanctions against any country or entity that with Cuba. This total blockade of fuel is negating the Cuban government's capacity to supply electricity, causing frequent and prolonged power cuts, including nationwide blackouts. Consequently, the distribution of water, food, medicine, and equipment to hospitals, supplies to schools, and other raw materials and intermediate goods to production units is being severely disrupted. Through this blockade, the United States aims to inflict maximum suffering on the Cuban people, to turn them against their government and bring it down. This is a sustained, high-intensity criminal action that violates international law, as this blockade targets an entire people and hits the most vulnerable first and foremost. It constitutes a gross violation of the Cuban people's rights to life and the sovereignty of that country. The Human Rights Council must implement the recommendations of the Special Rapporteur in relation to Cuba and take all measures within the scope of its mandate to bring about the lifting of the U.S. blockade against Cuba. Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the representative of Iranian Society of Traditional Medicine and Health Developers. Joint statement.

Mr. President, we warmly welcome the appointment of the new UNSR on UCMs and look forward to her impartial leadership in advancing accountability worldwide. Sanctions become even more devastating when they coincide with military aggression. Iran has been the subject of two military aggressions, killing about 5,000 civilians and injuring 25,800 others, while the country has been under the deadly impact of cumulative sanctions that act as armed conflict themselves. What we are really watching is the spread failing of a regime change policy that run out of military options, run out of diplomatic leverage, and is now grasping at the only tool left in the toolbox, hoping that if you just give old sanction a shiny new name and a D-day label, the outcome will be different this time. Spoiler alert, it won't. We call on the Special Rapporteur on UCMs to examine the use of sanctions as a tool for regime change and the violation of people's right to self-determination among all other human rights. We request the Special Rapporteur to continue documenting all human rights under sanction as a move toward providing the UCM victims with adequate and timely compensations. I thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you. I give the floor to the representative of International Confederation of Catholic Charities Joint Statement.

Mr. President, Caritas and.

Co-signatories congratulate the Special Rapporteur on her appointment and welcome her report outlining the roadmap and vision for her mandate.

We reiterate our support for the mandate on UCM and its contribution to understanding the human rights and humanitarian implications.

We particularly welcome the mandate's focus on the human cost of sanctions. Through our daily engagement with communities affected by poverty, conflict and humanitarian crisis, we witnessed the harm and heavy unintended consequences sanctions can have on the realization of economic, social and cultural rights, including access to food, healthcare, livelihoods and essential services. In this regard, we highlight three priorities for our engagement with the mandate. First, strengthening the collection of evidence on human rights and humanitarian impacts, second, continuing to advocate for effective and accessible humanitarian exemptions, including by addressing operational obstacles created by overcompliance; and third, strengthening dialogue with.

Civil society, affected communities, states and financial institutions.

Mr. President, our engagement is grounded in integral human development, placing human dignity, solidarity and the common good at the center of our action.

We welcome the Special Rapporteur's roadmap and look forward to constructive engagement to ensure that human.

Dignity and human rights remain central to discussions on UCM.

I thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the representative of APG 23 to make a statement.

Mr. Vassie, President, APG 23 and MRAP congratulate Ms. Dillard for her appointment as Special Rapporteur and thank her for this thought-provoking and vision-mapping report. We also welcome the report of the former Special Rapporteur on her country visit to Cuba, which clearly documents how UCMs cause enormous suffering of the population. We remain deeply concerned by the continued proliferation, extraterritorial reach, and over-enforcement of unilateral coercive measures. As documented in the report, these measures carry a devastating human cost, disproportionately impacting vulnerable populations and severely impairing access to basic services, food security, digital technology and economic development. Furthermore, pervasive overcompliance by financial institutions and private actors continues to undermine the practical implementation of the humanitarian care vows. We stress the UCMs violate international law, the principle of the UN charter and the right to self-determination. We support the Special Rapporteur's commitment to a human rights-based participatory approach, as well as the mandate's focus on improving empirical evidence through the monitoring and impact assessment tool. We also welcome structured dialogues to address overcompliance and examine effective remedies for affected individuals and states. We urge all states to cease the imposition of UCMs and invite the mandate holder to maintain constructive engagement with all stakeholders.

Thank you.

Thank you. I now give the floor to the Cuban representative of the Cuban United Nations Association intervention by video.

The interpreter regrets that the quality of the sound is not sufficient for interpretation.

The current blockade is an extreme form of asphyxia and genocide against the Cuban people and affects transversally all Cuban society. The blockade constitutes the most serious violation of all the human rights of the Cuban population. It violates in particular the right to life, health, food, education and the civil and political rights to our right de gobierno. El bloqueo impide la realización del derecho al desarrollo y los ODS. Al mismo tiempo, los logros y esfuerzos del país en materia de derechos humanos son silenciados y manipulados con fines políticos y mediáticos. Agradecemos la posición clara de denuncia y condena del bloqueo, de diversos procedimientos especiales y del Alto Comisionado. Durante décadas, Estados Unidos ha tratado de doblegarnos por hambre, enfermedad y escasez, para provocar frustración y desesperación. Ahora nos amenaza Special Rapporteur, the High Commissioner, and the mechanisms of human rights, and to the international community to raise their voices in support of an end to the blockade, for peace, and for the sovereignty of Cuba against the threats and aggressiveness of the United States. Only peace and respectful cooperation can promote and protect human rights.

Thank you.

Understand due to the quality of the previous video, the interpretation was not available. We'll go to the next one. I'll give the floor to the representative of International Alliance for Defense of Human Rights and Freedom. You have the floor.

Thank you, Mr. Vice President. The International Alliance for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms, IDAL, affirms the unilateral coercive measures imposed outside applicable international legal frameworks must not directly or indirectly undermine the enjoyment of fundamental rights by civilian populations, particularly the rights to health, food, development, and social protection. Financial, commercial, or banking restrictions must also not obstruct the delivery of humanitarian assistance or the work of humanitarian and human rights organizations. Also, universal coercive measures should be examined with the violation of human rights in conflict-affected areas. We recall, in particular, the case of detainees and forcibly disappeared persons held by the Houthi group in Yemen, including those who have spent years in arbitrary detention, have been subject to torture, ill-treatment and deprivation of fundamental legal safeguards. Among these cases is Dr. Ali Ahmed Al-Matwahi, a public health expert who has spent more than two years in detention and enforced disappearance, and has been subject to torture and various forms of abuse and deprivation because of his position in support of childhood immunization and protection of vaccines. ideal calls upon the UN to take urgent action. I thank you, Mr. Vice President.

Thank you. This was the last speaker we could accommodate for this dialogue. I now give the floor to Ms. Jalad for her concluding remarks. You have six minutes and 45 seconds.

Thank you very much, Mr. Vice President. I would like to thank all states as well as civil society for engaging in this interactive dialogue. Your input is truly invaluable, especially at the start of my tenure. As I mentioned in my statement, that this mandate is on the adverse impact of unilateral coercive measures on human rights, what I have called the human cost. I've taken note of the different statements today that have reflected this human cost. In the context from Zimbabwe to Eritrea, Cuba, Iran, Palestine and beyond, people and populations who are far removed from political decision-making have borne the heaviest impact of unilateral sanctions. Among those worst affected are the people and populations in vulnerable situations, including, as many of you have mentioned, women, children, older persons, persons with disabilities, with chronic diseases, migrants, refugees, unhoused people, among others. UCMs can never be used as a weapon, and there should not be room to tolerate usage of coercive measures as a tool to suffocate and eradicate a full nation. There should not be room here in this Assembly to accept the usage of UCMs to hold full populations hostage to measures that eradicate and impose forms of slow death of people. As highlighted in my opening statement, this is a moment of truly pronounced strain on the multilateral order. Yet I see a room full of states and stakeholders who are willing constructively to engage with this important mandate, especially during these critical times when the mandate is most relevant and that the engagement is required the most. On the question that was asked on strengthening engagement with states who impose unilateral measures and taking steps to combat the human rights consequences of UCM. I have noted and heard replies. And I take note of these questions. I and on particular the issues that can serve as inroads to better protect the human rights of impacted populations. For example, on the persistent issues of overcompliance, on the issues of de-risking, third states, I intend to use the means and mechanisms at my disposal as well as open door policy to take the opportunities that arise. To the question that was asked on engagement of affected populations, allow me to clarify to the people and populations affected by unilateral sanctions that your voice, your experience, your ideas for change and for effective remedy are those that form the basis of this mandate's analysis. Creating platforms that enable your voices as rights holder to be heard that enable the mandate to document the diverse ways in which your communities experience the consequences of unilateral sanctions, whether human rights, humanitarian, and developmental impact is a priority for my tenure. To the question on the cumulative impact of UCM on the right to development, particularly in developing countries, this is a subject that I have identified in my report, noting that unilateral measures depress development and growth. They increase indebtedness and undermine conditions of life for entire populations. We are marking the 40th anniversary of the Right to Development Declaration this year, and in parallel, the mandate is documenting the developmental gains that are reversed by way of unilateral coercive measures. I intend to examine these human rights questions, including thorough analysis that takes into consideration the collective rights to self-determination. I apologize if I was not able to respond to all questions and comments made today. Be assured that I am here for an extended period that we'll get to address so many other questions and address so many other priorities. And I'm taking into consideration all questions and pointers raised in this forum today. And I look forward to engaging with you. Excellencies, distinguished delegates, colleagues, I reiterate, we cannot normalize sanctions and we cannot tolerate the usage of sanctions as a mode of collective punishment. And this should not be tolerated under no condition. No child, no woman should suffer the brunt of the unilateral coercive measures. I wish to thank you sincerely for your productive and encouraging engagement today. I thank you, Mr. Vice President. Thank you.

Thank you. Excellencies, distinguished participants, this brings us to the end of this meeting. Let me take this opportunity to thank Ms. Jalad for her participation. We will reconvene in the afternoon at 3:00 PM to hold the interactive dialogue. with the independent expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons, followed by the panel discussion on progress, challenges and opportunities in promoting and protecting economic, social and cultural rights within the context of addressing inequalities. I hereby close the fifth meeting of the 63rd session of the Human Rights Council.