--- title: "How the UN votes on the embargo" summary: "Every year the UN votes on ending the US embargo of Cuba. In October 2026, 130 countries said yes. South Africa has voted yes." published: 2026-10-29 reviewed: 2026-10-29 canonical: "https://cuba.timothybrits.co.za/learn/un-votes" license: "CC BY 4.0" --- # How the UN votes on the embargo > The UN General Assembly votes every year on a resolution calling for the US embargo of Cuba to end. On 28 October 2026, 130 countries voted yes, 17 voted no and 25 abstained [1]. UN News called this the weakest backing in two decades [2]. ## What the resolution says Cuba presents the resolution each year. It is titled "Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba." [4] The text expresses concern about the [Helms-Burton Act](https://cuba.timothybrits.co.za/glossary#helms-burton-act). It says the Act has effects beyond US borders, and it urges states to repeal such laws. [3] The vote happens in the [UN General Assembly](https://cuba.timothybrits.co.za/glossary#un-general-assembly). UN News called the vote on 28 October 2026 the 34th. [3] The 2026 text also says that US measures applied since 2017 reversed the easing of 2015 and 2016. [2] ## The results In 1992, 59 countries voted yes, 3 voted no and 71 abstained. The US abstained for the first time in 2016. [2] In 2024, the vote was 187 to 2. The US and Israel voted no, and Moldova abstained. [1] In 2025, the vote was 165 to 7, with 12 abstentions. Argentina, Hungary, Israel, North Macedonia, Paraguay, Ukraine and the US voted no. [4] In 2026, the vote was 130 to 17, with 25 abstentions. [1] The UN voting record lists 21 states as not voting. [10] The UN press release does not list which states voted no or abstained. Al Jazeera reported that Germany and Italy moved from yes to abstain. The UN voting record shows Germany abstained. [10] Al Jazeera said US officials cited the rise in abstentions as proof that their push is working. Cuban officials accused the US of threatening countries with tariffs and visa limits. [6] On 7 July 2026, the Assembly also voted to reopen debate on the embargo. The vote was 136 to 9, with 30 abstentions. [5] Cuba had asked for the extra debate. The US had objected. [5] ## What each side said in October 2026 Cuba's foreign minister, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, said Cuba is not a threat and called the blockade the threat. He also criticised the US delegation's behaviour in the hall the day before as disrespectful and provocative. [1] The US representative told states that their vote was the only thing standing between what he called a corrupt communist government and a victory for it. [1] The US ambassador also said US exports to Cuba were over $876 million in the first eight months of 2026. [2] ## How South Africa votes South Africa voted yes in October 2025, according to the UN Project voting database. [7] South Africa voted yes in October 2026, according to the UN voting record. [10] SABC News reported that South Africa's envoy, Mxolisi Nkosi, called for talks between Havana and Washington to resume. [8] The envoy's remarks come from that one report. In 2018, President Cyril Ramaphosa said South Africa would again vote in favour of the resolution. [9] In August 2026, Parliament's committee on international relations again backed lifting the embargo. [11] ## What the vote changes The vote shows where governments stand, but the embargo itself is set in US law. A report for the US Congress says the President cannot end it alone. [12] ## Main counterarguments - The US government rejects the premise of the vote. Its ambassador, Mike Waltz, said: "There is no blockade." He said Cuba's problems come from its own government [2]. Before the vote, the US representative urged states to vote no and to "stand with the Cuban people" [1]. - Some countries that abstained in October 2025 gave their own reasons. Poland, speaking for Czechia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, pointed to what it called the selective application of the UN Charter and to Cuba's support for Russia. Romania also called on Cuba to withdraw its support for the war in Ukraine [4]. ## Sources 1. General Assembly Adopts Resolution to Lift United States Embargo of Cuba. United Nations Meetings Coverage and Press Releases, 28 October 2026. https://press.un.org/en/2026/ga12801.doc.htm (United Nations) 2. Backing for UN call to end Cuba embargo falls to 20-year low. UN News, 28 October 2026. https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/10/1168694 (United Nations) 3. General Assembly weighs US embargo against Cuba ahead of 34th vote. UN News. https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/10/1168686 (United Nations) 4. Amid shifting alliances, General Assembly demands end to US embargo on Cuba. UN News, 29 October 2025. https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/10/1166213 (United Nations) 5. General Assembly Resumes Debate on Ending Cuban Embargo, as Havana Leads Outcry against 'Cruel' Extraterritorial Ambitions of United States. United Nations Meetings Coverage and Press Releases, 7 July 2026. https://press.un.org/en/2026/ga12769.doc.htm (United Nations) 6. UN votes to condemn embargo of Cuba despite US lobbying push. Al Jazeera, 28 October 2026. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/10/28/un-votes-to-condemn-embargo-of-cuba-despite-us-lobbying-push (News) 7. A/RES/80/4 GA (voting record). UN Project (un-project.org), an independent database of UN votes. https://un-project.org/votes/resolution/A-RES-80-4/ (NGO) 8. UN General Assembly backs call to end US embargo on Cuba. SABC News, 28 October 2026. https://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/un-general-assembly-backs-call-to-end-us-embargo-on-cuba/ (News) 9. South Africa expresses support to Cuba ahead of voting in UN General Assembly. The Presidency, South African Government, 30 October 2018. https://www.gov.za/news/media-statements/south-africa-expresses-support-cuba-ahead-voting-un-general-assembly-30-oct (South African government) 10. Voting record, A/81/L.5: Necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba (28 October 2026). United Nations Digital Library, 28 October 2026. https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/4131295 (United Nations) 11. Committee on International Relations reiterates South Africa's call for lifting US embargo and unilateral measures against Cuba. Parliament of the Republic of South Africa, 13 August 2026. https://www.parliament.gov.za/news/south-africa-reiterates-call-lifting-us-embargo-and-unilateral-measures-against-cuba (South African government) 12. Cuba Sanctions: Legislative Restrictions Limiting the Normalization of Relations (CRS Report R43888). Congressional Research Service (via EveryCRSReport.com), 4 May 2018. https://www.everycrsreport.com/reports/R43888.html (US government) ## What you can do - [Ask your MP to keep SA backing Cuba](https://cuba.timothybrits.co.za/act/ask-your-mp-un-vote) - [Ask DIRCO for SA's position](https://cuba.timothybrits.co.za/act/write-dirco-sa-position)