- As it is well-known, next 5 February 2009 Cuba will make its presentation to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Working Group of the Human Rights Council. The conclusions of this presentation will be adopted by the Working Group on 9 February. The official approval of such outcome will be done during the formal session of the Council in June.

- Cuba undertakes this exercise with the utmost seriousness and sense of responsibility. Cuba is convinced that respectful dialogue, based on the principles of objectivity, impartiality and non-selectivity is the only way toward international cooperation in the field of human rights.

- Cuba will attend this presentation with a delegation presided by H.E. Ms María Esther Reus, Minister of Justice. Also present will be H.E. Mr. Bruno Rodriguez, First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, and a significant number of senior representatives of several ministries and other entities, including the National Assembly of People’s Power and the Attorney General’s Office.

- The National Report prepared by Cuba – a copy of which will be given to you at the end of this press conference – is the result of an in-depth process involving numerous State institutions, including the National Assembly of People’s Power. It was an intense, comprehensive and genuinely participatory process.

- The text of the Report will be published by the national media in a tabloid for easy access by the Cuban people. It is already available at the Cubaminrex and Cubadebate web sites. Last Sunday Juventud Rebelde newspaper gave ample coverage to this issue.

- As part of this exercise, over 200 Cuban NGOs sent their contributions to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Last 19 September 2008, a forum of Cuban NGOs adopted a declaration signed by 163 organizations, which was also forwarded to Geneva. About 150 NGOs from other countries sent their contributions as well.

- This exercise coincides with the 50th Anniversary of the Triumph of the Cuban Revolution. It was the Revolution, for the first time in our history, which allowed every Cuban to fully enjoy all their human rights. Cuba reaffirms its right to self-determination. The Cuban people defend their right to establish their own political, economic and social system. Cuba shall not ever renounce to its independence, sovereignty and dignity.

- Cuba has a serious and extensive track record of cooperation with all human rights mechanisms that are implemented on universal and non-discriminatory basis. Cuba always opposed and will continue to oppose manipulation, selectivity and discriminatory treatment in human rights.

- The discontinuation in 2007 of the unjust and selective anti-Cuba mandate imposed by the United States in the former Commission on Human Rights, led to an improvement in the quality of our country’s traditional cooperation in human rights. This outcome constitutes an act of indispensable justice toward the Cuban people, as well as recognition to the prestige and work done by Cuba and its Revolution and its undeniable performance in the promotion and protection of all human rights for all.

- In December 2007, after hosting the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, we announced our readiness to continue inviting Human Rights Council’s special procedures. I should inform you that in the coursed of next week Cuba will proceed to extend an invitation to Mr. Manfred Novak, Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, to visit our country this year.

- Cuba is State Party to 41 of the most significant human rights treaties or conventions, including the Convention against Racism, the Convention against Torture, the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Last year, Cuba signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which are now going through the customary constitutional procedure.

Today we are announcing that Cuba will proceed in the next few days to ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. Cuba is a country, where over the last 50 years, there has been neither a single case of a missing or tortured person, or extrajudicial killing.

- In addition, Cuba is submitting its reports to the Committee of the Rights of the Child and the Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. We are already working on the report to the Committee against Torture, which should be ready for submission by the first half of 2009.

- Today we are also presenting the multimedia entitled Cuba and Human Rights, prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the occasion of Cuba’s presentation to presentation to the Universal Periodic Review Mechanism of the Human Rights Council.