By Michael Oche
The African Regional Organisation of the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC-Africa) has called on the United Nations and its member states to take practical steps to end the United States’ economic embargo on Cuba, warning that the restrictions continue to worsen the living conditions of ordinary Cubans.
The organisation urged the international community to move beyond repeated resolutions and diplomatic declarations to measures that would ease restrictions, promote economic and social development, and improve the livelihoods of Cuban workers.
ITUC-Africa made the call in a statement issued in Lomé, Togo, on Monday by its General Secretary, Akhator Joel Odigie, as the United Nations considers the longstanding US economic, commercial and financial embargo on Cuba.
The organisation said the embargo had imposed significant human and economic costs on ordinary Cubans by constraining livelihoods, production and access to essential goods.
It maintained that the suffering of the Cuban people should not be treated as an acceptable consequence of geopolitical disagreements.
According to ITUC-Africa, the issue goes beyond Cuba and raises fundamental questions about the authority of international law, respect for national sovereignty and the credibility of multilateral institutions.
It warned that an international system in which powerful countries could impose their will without meaningful consequences risked undermining the foundations of international cooperation.
The organisation said Africa had a particular interest in defending international law, given the continent’s historical experience and the importance of ensuring that international rules protected weaker nations as well as restrained powerful ones.
“For Cuban workers, this debate is not a contest of diplomatic language. It concerns wages and livelihoods, the functioning of workplaces and public services, access to medicines and essential supplies and the prospects of young people,” the statement said.
It added that the dignity and welfare of Cuban workers should not remain secondary to the calculations of international politics.
ITUC-Africa called for an end to the embargo and renewed diplomatic engagement in line with the United Nations Charter, urging member states and relevant international institutions to pursue concrete measures capable of delivering measurable improvements in the lives of ordinary Cubans.
The organisation also stressed that the rights of Cuban workers, including decent work, freedom of association, social protection and meaningful participation in shaping their country’s future, must remain central to efforts to address the situation.
It said international solidarity should be assessed by its contribution to human dignity rather than declarations of political alignment.
The organisation further recalled Cuba’s historical contribution to African liberation, noting that solidarity with the Caribbean nation was rooted not only in shared history but also in the common principles of sovereignty, self-determination and social justice.
Quoting former Mozambican President Samora Machel, ITUC-Africa said solidarity was not an act of charity but a unity of people working towards a common objective of advancing humanity.
It maintained that defending Cuba was inseparable from the African trade union movement’s broader struggle for a fairer international order in which collective commitments were respected and international law applied consistently.
“The people of Cuba need more than another expression of concern. They must see change,” the Odigie said.
