In spite of our principled opposition to the selective, discriminatory and unfair treatment the United States advocates against Cuba in matters concerning human rights, Cuba has continued with its traditional cooperation with any mechanisms in this area that are applied in a universal and non-discriminatory way.

 Cuba reiterates its unequivocal willingness to engage in frank and open dialogue  on the basis of mutual respect; nevertheless, it will not tolerate any attempt made to single her out or to trample over her right to self-determination and sovereign equality.

 Cuba has a long and dignified history in the sphere of  international cooperation in human rights matters.  As an example of this; in 1988, at the invitation of the Cuban government, a Mission headed by the President of the Commission on Human Rights and made up of five other members of that organisation came to Cuba in order to observe the human rights situation in our country and to report back to the Commission.  This offer was included in the decision 1988/106, adopted by the Commission on Human Rights.

The visit took place from 16 to 25 September of that same year and the Cuban government provided it with every amenity and guarantee to undertake both the preparatory work and the actual work in our country.  In the mission’s report the positive attitude and the good will shown by the Cuban authorities was acknowledged and it stated clearly that there was no human rights situation in Cuba that justified in any way whatsoever the establishment of a special monitoring procedure.

 The following year (1989) and because of  Commission decision 1989/113, Cuba made its willingness to continue cooperating with the United Nations Secretary General in following up on the recommendations included in the Mission’s Report.  This process was interrupted however by the United States’ decision to manipulate it for the purpose of anti-Cuban propaganda by forcing an unfair resolution condemning Cuba through the Commission.

 Whereas Cuba was one of the first countries to invite and be visited by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights when it welcomed Mr. José Ayala Lasso in 1994, about one year after this position had been created in the United Nations structure.

 In 1995 the Cuban government invited a delegation of non-governmental organisations to visit our country, which they did between 28 April and 5 May that year.  The mission was composed of the organisations France Liberté, the International Federation of Human Rights Leagues, Doctors of the World and Human Rights Watch.  While undertaking their mission in Cuba,  they were given all possible support by the Cuban authorities and managed to meet all the goals they had set themselves including visits to several jails and meetings with prisoners in whom they were interested.

 In 1998 Cuba extended two invitations to the Commission’s Special Rapporteurs on the use of mercenaries and on violence against women.  Both came to Cuba in 1999.

 The Cuban government has responded to requests for information about alleged violations of human rights which have been sent to them through the different procedures and mechanisms of the Commission and the mechanism set in place by Social, Economic and Social Council’s resolution 1503.  It has met, as few other countries have, its commitments to submit periodic reports to the bodies set up under international human rights treaties.

 Our country has ratified a significant number of international instruments relating to human rights.  Cuba is State party to 15 of the 26 treaties considered to be the most important in this area, namely.

 • Convention On The Rights Of The Child

 • Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children and Child Prostitution and Child Pornography.

 • Convention against Torture

 • Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

 • Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination

 • Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide

 • Convention on the Non-Applicability of Statutory Limitations to War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity,

 • International Convention on The Supression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid

 • International Convention against Apartheid in Sports

 •Convention on the Political Rights of Women

 • Convention on the Nationality of Married Women

 • Convention on Consent to Marriage, Minimum Age for Marriage And Registration of Marriages

 • 1926 Slavery Convention and the Protocol Amending the Convention on Slavery

 • Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade and the Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery

 • Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of others

 • Cuba has likewise signed the following instruments:

 • Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women

• Optional Convention to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of Children in Armed Conflicts.

 Cuba reaffirms its commitment to the contents of international covenants on civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights which it assumed when the respective texts were adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.  The rights protected by the aforementioned instruments are fully enshrined for each and every Cuban citizen in the Constitution and laws of our country.  There are large number of state programs and policies aimed especially at protecting and promoting the aforementioned rights for Cubans.  Nevertheless, Cuba will not take on new international responsibilities in a climate of confrontation and politically-motivated manipulation of international cooperation over human rights matters.

 Cuba is open to dialogue with all interested countries on a basis of mutual respect and has stuck to its course of bilateral cooperation in this area with those whose approach to dialogue is respectful and serious.  In its own region, Latin America, Cuba has had periodic exchanges on various subjects, including human rights related matters.

 Whilst we reject the possibility of cooperating in implementing the anti-Cuban resolutions adopted by closed vote in the Commission -whose approval is possible only because of the enormous pressures brought to bear by the hegemonic hyperpower- Cuba wishes to reaffirm its willingness to continue cooperating fully with all other mandates adopted by the Commission on Human Rights on non-selective, non-discriminatory grounds and in particular its willingness  to implement the mandate presented to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights by virtue of resolution 48/41 of the United Nations General Assembly.

 Cuba will redouble her efforts to improve the Commission’s effectiveness and credibility.  As an underdeveloped country obviously committed to the cause of making real all human rights for all people, Cuba needs a strong, fair Commission which is capable of responding to the broadest range of expectations from the world’s peoples and capable of confronting the unilateral actions of the superpower.

Our country will continue to promote the right to food; international solidarity; the establishment of an equitable and democratic international order in which all of the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights can become a reality for all human beings and all nations; the right to development for all nations and individuals; the right of all nations to peace and international cultural cooperation which respects our rich heritage of diversity.

 In the Commission’s work, Cuban representatives will continue to raise the question of the impact of the foreign debt on Third World countries’ enjoyment of human rights; will oppose the use of mercenaries as a means to constrain nations from exercising their right to self-determination and oppose the application of unilateral coercive measures.

 Cuba will continue to hold an eminent position because of the number and quality of its contributions to the High Commissioner’s requests for information and will continue to reply in a systematic way to communications sent through the Commission’s mechanisms.

 To sum up, the Cuban government will remain true to its commitment to multilateralism in international relations, particularly in the field of human rights and this implies resolutely confronting any maneuver aimed at manipulation in order to attain hegemonic domination of the international system.

Havana 16 March, 2004