Cuba's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Juan Antonio Quintanilla. Photo: Prensa Latina

Geneva, September 19 (RHC)-- Cuba's ambassador to the UN-Geneva, Juan Antonio Quintanilla, rejected at the Human Rights Council the bias and use of unconfirmed sources in the mechanisms and special procedures to address the issue.

In resuming the activities of the Council's  51st session, the diplomat intervened in an interactive dialogue with the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, in which he insisted on the need for objective action without preconceived results.

"It is essential that the Working Group does not adopt its views on cases in a preconceived manner, as well as take into account the responses of States. Lack of objectivity, bias, and little or no verification of the veracity of sources continues to be a problem," he said.

Quintanilla affirmed at the forum that Cuba responds highly to requests for information from this mechanism.

On specific occasions, we have required additional time to request from the corresponding authorities information about certain persons who have been of interest to the group, he said.

The Cuban ambassador to the UN in Geneva reiterated the rejection of the use of the special procedures for purposes unrelated to the defense of human rights. (Source: Prensa Latina)