Cuba signs international human rights treaties

HAVANA — Cuba became a signatory to two important human rights documents — the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESC) — four days after Raul Castro permanently replaced his brother as the country’s president.

Article 18 of the ICCPR guarantees freedom of thought, conscience and religion, while Article 2 of the ICESC asks state parties to ensure equal rights for its citizens regardless of any differences, including religious belief. Despite signing both treaties, Cuba stated that it still harbored "reservations" about certain provisions, which it said it would clarify later during the treaty ratification process.