A/HRC/8/52 page 154 system reform, which was aimed at leaving politicization and selectivity behind. Brazil believed strongly that the universal periodic review mechanism constituted an innovative framework to deal with human rights defence in a multilateral system. It could serve as a good example to be repeated in other United Nations bodies. As the beginning of the first universal periodic review cycle was concluding, it was becoming clear that non-selectivity and transparency were the most efficient ways to promote true dialogue and to achieve real cooperation among countries. 430. The Brazilian delegation, which came to Geneva for the presentation of its national report and interactive dialogue, was broad and representative. Brazil stated that most of its members had previous experience in civil society activities. The delegation was headed by the Under-Secretary of the Special Secretariat for Human Rights, and comprised high-level authorities from the Special Secretariat of Policies for Women, the Special Secretariat of Promotion of Racial Equality, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Social Development, the Ministry of External Relation and the National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform. 431. During the interactive dialogue, 47 States from all five regional groups commented on the national report, asked questions and made recommendations. Brazil stressed that such active participation of all States in the universal periodic review process vindicated its acknowledgement that, despite all differences, human rights were a common concern for all. Brazil regarded the review exercise as a valuable opportunity for international cooperation. Brazil reiterated its commitment to take serious account of the recommendations made in the report of the Working Group, all of them accepted and acknowledged. 432. It recognized that, despite all progress achieved since democratization in Brazil, there were still many areas in serious need of improvement, and many issues still had to be addressed before human rights could be fully realized. Brazil acknowledged that it faced huge challenges concerning, inter alia, the reduction of poverty, the improvement of prison conditions, the empowerment of women, the protection of human rights defenders, the eradication of racial discrimination, respect for indigenous peoples rights, access to justice, the improvement of public security and the elimination of torture. 433. Brazil expressed its strong belief, however, that 2008 would be an important year for the promotion of human rights; a year of reflection not only on what its challenges were and on which public policies needed to be reformulated, but also on what had worked well so far. 434. Brazil noted that the eleventh national conference on human rights, to be held in December 2008, would be a major step towards a comprehensive evaluation of the human rights challenges faced by Brazil. The conference would aim at revising the national plan on human rights, which established the core guidelines for the elaboration of actions and public policies for the protection and promotion of human rights at the domestic level. The plan stemmed from a recommendation made at the Vienna World Conference, the final document of which was initially implemented in Brazil in 1996. 435. In the context of the commemoration of the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Brazil reported that the Government, together with civil society entities, was organizing important events, not only of national but also of international scope.