UN human rights experts have strongly condemned an executive order issued by the President of the United States on 29 January 2026 declaring a purported national emergency and authorising the imposition of trade tariffs on oil imports from third countries to Cuba.
In a statement released by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the independent experts described the move as “a serious violation of international law and a grave threat to a democratic and equitable international order.”
“The U.S. executive order imposing a fuel blockade on Cuba is an extreme form of unilateral economic coercion with extraterritorial effects,” the experts said.
“Through this measure, the United States seeks to exert coercion on the sovereign state of Cuba and compel other sovereign third States to alter their lawful commercial relations, under threat of punitive trade measures.”
Legal and Sovereignty Concerns
The experts criticised the characterisation of Cuba as an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security, as well as accusations that Havana supports “transnational terrorist groups.”
They said such claims lack credibility and appear intended to justify extraordinary coercive powers.
“In the absence of authorisation from the United Nations Security Council, the executive order has no basis in collective security and constitutes a unilateral act incompatible with international law,” the experts stated.
They further stressed that there is no right under international law for one country to impose economic penalties on third States for engaging in lawful trade with another sovereign nation.
According to the experts, the executive order violates core principles enshrined in Article 2(1) of the UN Charter, including sovereign equality, non-intervention and self-determination. They also warned that the measure circumvents multilateral frameworks governing global trade and security, including those of the World Trade Organization.
“A democratic international order cannot be reconciled with practices whereby one State claims the authority to dictate the internal policies and economic relations of others through threats and coercion,” the experts said.
Humanitarian Impact
The UN experts expressed deep concern over the humanitarian consequences of restricting fuel supplies to Cuba through pressure on third States.
They noted that Cuba is already experiencing severe energy shortages due to previous U.S. sanctions, with blackouts reportedly lasting up to 20 hours in some areas. These disruptions have affected refrigeration for food and medication and contributed to broader public health challenges.
Fuel is critical for electricity generation, water and sanitation systems, hospitals, public transportation, and food production, including irrigation, harvesting, refrigeration and distribution.
“Interfering with fuel imports could lead to a severe humanitarian crisis with knock-on effects for essential services,” the experts warned.
They recalled that measures likely to result in shortages of essential goods may amount to collective punishment of civilians, raising serious concerns under international human rights law.
Call for Reversal
The experts called on the U.S. Government to immediately rescind the executive order and cease the use of extraterritorial economic measures, urging Washington to align its conduct with international law.
They added that the order compounds the impact of the United States’ existing designation of Cuba as a “State Sponsor of Terrorism.”
They also urged all States to refrain from recognising or giving effect to unilateral coercive measures that undermine international law and to take diplomatic and multilateral steps to uphold principles of international cooperation, sovereign equality and peaceful settlement of disputes.
“The normalisation of unilateral economic coercion erodes the international legal order, weakens multilateral institutions, and inflicts unacceptable suffering on civilian populations,” the experts said. “Collective action by States is essential to defending a democratic and equitable international order.”
