INDEPENDENT EXPERT ON SITUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN CHAD TO VISIT COUNTRY

6 October 2004


The Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Chad of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Monica Pinto, will undertake her first official mission to that country from 7 to 17 October 2004.

The Independent Expert will carry out an initial assessment of the current situation of human rights in the country. She says she wishes to establish positive working relations with the Government and with national civil society actors with a view to fulfilling her mandate, which foresees the provision of technical assistance and advisory services to the Government of Chad in the field of human rights.

The Independent Expert is scheduled to visit N’Djamena and the Sudanese refugee camps close to Abeche (Eastern Chad). She has requested to meet with, among others, the country’s President; the Prime Minister; the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Justice, Interior, Planning and Development; the President of the Supreme Court; the Prosecutor and members of the judiciary, as well as local authorities.

She also hopes to meet with a broad range of human rights defenders, civil society representatives, the National Commission of Human Rights, Media Association, and with officials of the United Nations and diplomatic missions in the country.

The Independent Expert will present a report on her visit, including recommendations, to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights at its sixty-first session next spring.

Ms. Pinto, an academic and human rights expert from Argentina, was appointed Independent Expert by the Chairman of the Commission on Human Rights on 13 July 2004.