India voted in favour of a United Nations General Assembly resolution calling for an end to the United States trade embargo on Cuba on 29 October 2026. The resolution received 130 votes in favour, 17 against and 25 abstentions. India was one of 130 countries supporting the resolution; the tally was the lowest for such a resolution since 1995.
Voting in the United Nations General Assembly
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is the United Nations’ main deliberative, policymaking and representative organ. All 193 UN Member States have a seat and one vote in the Assembly. India’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations stated that India opposes laws with extraterritorial effects that adversely affect the sovereignty of other states.
UN resolutions and legal status
Under Article 10 of the United Nations Charter, the General Assembly may discuss matters within the Charter’s scope and make recommendations to UN Member States or the Security Council. General Assembly resolutions are generally recommendations rather than binding rules of international law. The Assembly has adopted resolutions calling for an end to the Cuba embargo annually since 1992, except in 2020.
Background of the US-Cuba embargo
The United States began imposing trade restrictions on Cuba in 1960, following the Cuban Revolution and the nationalisation of US-owned assets. The US imposed a comprehensive embargo in 1962. The restrictions cover trade and economic dealings, and some provisions have extraterritorial effects on third-country entities doing business involving Cuba. Restrictions were eased during the 2015–2017 rapprochement between the two countries and were later tightened.
Important Facts for Exams
- The United Nations was established on 24 October 1945, after the United Nations Charter entered into force.
- The United Nations General Assembly has 193 Member States, each with one vote.
- The United States began imposing trade restrictions on Cuba in 1960, and imposed a comprehensive embargo in 1962.
- The 2026 UN General Assembly resolution on the embargo received 130 votes in favour, 17 against and 25 abstentions.
Reported effects in Cuba
India stated that Cuba faced shortages of more than 60% of essential medicines and that food production had fallen by more than 50% over the preceding five years. India also cited disruptions to fuel shipments and to services including healthcare, education, water supply, food distribution and transport.
On 27 October 2026, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla confronted US Permanent Representative Mike Waltz during a General Assembly address. The United States expelled Cuban UN mission First Secretary Richard Tur de la Concepción on 28 October 2026 over allegations that he had physically engaged with an American diplomat.
