Sri Lanka Votes in Favor of Ending US Embargo on Cuba at UN General Assembly

COLOMBO (News 1st); Sri Lanka has joined the overwhelming majority of United Nations member states in voting to end the decades-long United States embargo against Cuba, during the 33rd annual resolution on the issue at the UN General Assembly.

The resolution, titled “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba,” was adopted with 165 votes in favor, 7 against, and 12 abstentions.

This marks a slight shift from last year’s vote, which saw 187 countries in favor, only 2 against (the U.S. and Israel), and 1 abstention (Moldova). This year, the countries voting against included the United States, Israel, Argentina, Hungary, Paraguay, North Macedonia, and Ukraine.

Among the 12 abstaining nations were Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Costa Rica, Czechia, Ecuador, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Morocco, Poland, Moldova, and Romania.

The resolution reiterates the UN’s longstanding call for the repeal of punitive U.S. legislation such as the Helms-Burton Act of 1996, which Cuba and many other nations argue violates international law and the principles of the UN Charter.

The Assembly also acknowledged the contrast between the Obama-era easing of embargo measures in 2015–2016 and the tightening of restrictions under the Trump administration beginning in 2017.

The resolution will be included again in the provisional agenda for next year’s UN General Assembly session.