Reuters

Cuba finally signs human rights pacts

Updated 10.00 Fri Feb 29 2008

Keywords: human rights, United Nations, Fidel Castro, Cuba

Cuba has signed two UN human rights pacts that former president Fidel Castro had refused to endorse.

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights both came into force in 1976 at the height of the Cold War.

A European diplomat in Havana called the signing "a first step in the right direction" by the new government headed by Fidel Castro's brother Raul

Foreign Minister Perez Roque said the decision to sign "has been taken now that the selective and unjust mandate against Cuba imposed by the brutal pressure and blackmail carried out by the United States has been clearly defeated."

But Mr Roque said that Havana still shared the reservations expressed by Fidel Castro about the pacts and would formally record them in future.

He said that on signing he had handed the UN a statement saying that on "the scope and application of several of the elements contained in these international instruments, Cuba will register those reservations or interpretative declarations it considers relevant."

In June, the UN Human Rights Council dropped Cuba from a list of special investigatory mandates for countries where human rights records are of particular concern, in a move criticised by the United States and Canada.

A European diplomat in Havana called the signing "a first step in the right direction" by the new government headed by Mr Castro's brother Raul and hoped it would be followed up by the freeing of some jailed dissidents.

Raul Castro formally took over from his ailing brother this week, after 19 months as interim president.

Cuba is a one-party state which critics say has imprisoned more than 200 political prisoners. Cuba says it holds no political prisoners and labels all dissidents as "mercenaries" on the payroll of the US government.

The UN covenant on civil and political rights enshrines freedom of opinion and association and the right to vote in elections - but does not specifically say people have a right to live in a multi-party democracy.

Fidel Castro has previously expressed opposition to the political rights pact, claiming it could be used as an instrument against Cuba by "imperialism".

He has also objected to two articles - one relating to the right of workers to have independent trade unions, and a second which he claimed would open the door to the privatisation of education.