Appeal to the 53 countries that have a seat in the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) and a voting-right at the Commission's ongoing 61st Session in Geneva.

We, who represent organisations for friendship and solidarity with Cuba in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Ireland, Great Britain, Estonia and Denmark, appeal to you not to support in any way the proposal of the United States of America to keep on the agenda a condemnation of the Republic of Cuba for allegedly violating the human rights of its population.
No country on Earth is perfect, and that consideration goes for Cuba as well. But out of the 191 member states of the United Nations it makes absolutely no sense to specifically accuse Cuba of violating human rights. On the contrary, Cuba puts more resources and efforts into guaranteeing human rights both at home and abroad, than most countries in the world.
In Cuba all basic human rights are a reality for the whole population. We all know - and you know - that thousands of Cuban doctors, teachers and other professionals are working day and night to spread the right to life, health, literacy and culture to millions and millions of ordinary people in poor countries. In the world today, millions of children die because of human rights violations, and not one of them is a Cuban. The USA together with Somalia are the only countries that have not signed the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It is not out of commitment to human rights that the United States of America wants to condemn Cuba - it is to get a justification to continue its blockade and hostile policy towards this small neighbour-nation. From the president and down through the current US-administration we hear outspoken military threats against Cuba. If the USA wins a majority for its proposal at the UNCHR we fear with reason that it could be misused in the year(s) to come for a direct aggression against Cuba.
The member states of the UNCHR must take this option away from the USA. Military aggression and war is the worst violation of all human rights.

Who are we?
We represent some 10.000 individual members of one or more organisations in our countries. Our organisations have a large number of trade-unions, NGO's and political parties affiliated as "collective members". We speak on behalf of several million people who are opposed to the blockade of Cuba and support Cuba's right to self-determination and independance.
All of us are very much concerned about this matter; we will not sit inactive and watch while the world's biggest superpower misuses this power. For decades the USA - with its blockade and support of terrorist actions by the anti-Cuban mafia in Miami - has spread death and injury in Cuba. Now military attacks and full-scale war against Cuba are a real threat.
We will follow very closely the debates and the voting in Geneva, and you can count on our deepest respect and gratefulness to all countries that have the courage to take the right position and vote accordingly.

Sincerely Yours
Finnish-Cuban Association
Swedish-Cuban Association
Norway-Cuba Friendship Association
Friendship Association Denmark-Cuba
Iceland-Cuba Friendship Association
Cuba Support Group Ireland
Cuba Solidarity Campaign of Great Britain
Estonian-Cuban Friendship Society

Adopted at the North-European Meeting of Organisations for Solidarity with Cuba,
Copenhagen the 9th and 10th of April, 2005.

P.S: This appeal has been sent to the Governments of our eight countries and to the world press.
We would be grateful if you would please ensure that this appeal is communicated to the concerned correct authorities within your own Government.

APPEAL TO THE COUNTRIES OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, PLUS NORWAY AND ICELAND, ON OCCASION OF THE CELEBRATION OF THE UNCHR 61st SESSION IN GENEVA.

We, who represent friendship and solidarity organisations with Cuba in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Ireland, Great Britain, Estonia and Denmark, appeal to you to not in any way support the proposal from the United States of America, to keep on the agenda of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights - UNCHR - a condemnation of the Republic of Cuba for allegedly violating the human rights of its population. Europe knows that this draft resolution is deeply unjust and politically motivated.

European government independent foreign policy towards Cuba has been high-jacked by the US aggressive policy against this small country. Evidence of that is The Common Understanding between the USA and the EU, the EU Common Position (1996) and the EU-sanctions (2003), all adopted under US pressure.

This policy of confrontation has not promoted any positive development regarding the alleged European worries about human rights in Cuba. On the contrary it has worsened the situation for the Cuban people and it has created problems for European citizens and business.

No country on Earth is perfect. Cuba is more than most countries in the world working for the betterment of human rights at home and abroad. In Cuba all basic human rights are a reality for the whole population and we all know - you know - that thousands of Cuban doctors, teachers and other professionals are working day and night to spread the right to life, health, literacy and culture to millions and millions in poor countries. In the world today, millions of children die because of human rights violations, and not one of them is a Cuban. The USA together with Somalia are the only countries that have not signed the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

It is not out of commitment to human rights that the USA wants to condemn Cuba - it is to get a justification to continue its economic, financial and commercial blockade and hostile policy towards this small neighbour-nation. From the president and down through the current US-administration we hear outspoken military threats against Cuba. If the USA wins a majority for its proposal at the UNCHR we fear, that it could be misused in the time ahead for a direct aggression against Cuba.

Will Europe, which committed itself in the first Summit of Latin America and the Caribbean to promote and protect peace, make itself guilty of undermining this commitment? Which confidence would Europe then create for itself in the entire region? You have the capacity to stop this course. You must take the war-option away from the USA. Military aggression and war is the worst violation of all human rights.

Dialogue - not confrontation - is the way to choose. We applaud that the EU and Cuba have recently expressed a commitment to recover the political dialogue. Supporting the US-resolution in Geneva will undermine the credibility of this commitment.

We are shocked by the information that some European countries and EU-countries tend to support the US draft resolution - which in spite of its apparently soft wording - is an unjust and politically motivated selective condemnation of Cuba. At the same time the EU cooperates with the USA to stop a debate and a resolution which would condemn the USA for its documented mistreatment and direct torture of prisoners at the Abu Ghraib in Iraq and at the US Naval base in Guantanamo - an occupied part of Cuban territory.

We strongly demand of the European countries - members of the European Union or not - to end such a disgraceful cooperation with the USA. If not; any European talk about concerns for human rights will thunder like empty barrels. Such a double standard would - when known by the European population - have a direct influence on the attitude towards the new EU-constitution, which is sent to a popular referendum in many countries.

From many years of relations with Cuba we know what we talk about. We represent some 10.000 individual members of one or more organisations in our countries. Our organisations have a large number of trade-unions, NGO's and political parties affiliated as "collective members". We speak on behalf of several million people who are opposed to the blockade of Cuba and support Cuba's right to self-determination and independance.

All of us are very concerned about this; we will not sit inactive and watch while the world's biggest superpower misuses this power.

We are following very closely the debates and the voting in Geneva.

Finnish-Cuban Association
Swedish-Cuban Association
Norway-Cuba Friendship Association
Friendship Association Denmark-Cub:
Iceland-Cuba Friendship Association
Cuba Support Group Ireland
Cuba Solidarity Campaign of Great Britain
Estonian-Cuban Friendship Society

Adopted at the North-European Meeting of Solidarity with Cuba, Copenhagen, the 9th and 10th of April, 2005.

PS: This appeal has been sent to all governments, to the EU-commission, the EU-parliament and to the world press.