Thursday, March 25, 1999; 6:34 p.m. EST

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Senate voted 98-0 on Thursday to call on the Clinton administration to seek international condemnation of Cuba's human rights record at an upcoming meeting of the U.N. Human Rights Commission in Geneva.

The House passed a similar resolution earlier this month.

The resolution denounces recent suppression of political dissidents and demands that Fidel Castro's government release all political prisoners, legalize political parties and schedule free elections.

``Just over a year ago, Pope John Paul II traveled to Cuba and asked Fidel Castro to open up to the world,'' said Sen. Bob Graham, D-Fla., the prime sponsor. ``Castro's response was to launch one of the most regressive crackdowns of his 40-year reign of terror.''

The resolution is nonbinding on the administration.

Both chambers of Congress recently passed a similarly worded resolution condemning human rights abuses in China.