The UN General Assembly has once again urged the United States to end its long-standing embargo on Cuba, renewing a demand that has been made every year since 1992.
The resolution, titled “Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba,” passed overwhelmingly, with 187 countries voting in favor, two against—Israel and the U.S.—and one abstention, from Moldova.
In a non-binding but symbolically potent move, the Assembly reiterated its call for all states to refrain from implementing restrictive policies that undermine international trade and navigation.
“The General Assembly once again urges states that continue to apply such laws and measures to take necessary steps to repeal or invalidate them as soon as possible,” the resolution stated.
The Assembly further acknowledged the shifts in policy under former U.S. President Barack Obama in 2015 and 2016, which saw measures taken to modify aspects of the embargo. It contrasted these actions with the more stringent policies reinstated since 2017. The UN will revisit this issue in its agenda next year, keeping the embargo a global discussion point.
Also on Wednesday, the UN Security Council agreed to transition the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) into the UN Transitional Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNTMIS), marking a shift towards Somali-led governance. This formal transition, set to begin on Friday, aims to gradually hand over UNSOM’s responsibilities to the UN Country Team in Somalia over the next two years.
With the unanimous adoption of Resolution 2753, the Council decided that UNTMIS should aim to complete its initial phase by October 31 of the following year, and intends to conclude the Mission’s mandate by the end of October 2026.
The transition prioritizes supporting state-building efforts, conducting free and fair elections, and strengthening human rights and security sector reforms.
In another action, the Security Council unanimously extended the mandate of the UN Verification Mission in Colombia until October 31, 2025. Originally established in 2017, this mission is tasked with monitoring critical elements of Colombia’s 2016 peace agreement with the former FARC-EP, which brought an end to the country’s 52-year conflict.
