Visit to CAR: UN expert to follow up on human rights recommendations

GENEVA / BANGUI (23 January 2017) – The United Nations Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Central African Republic, Marie-Thérèse Keita Bocoum, will carry out a follow-up mission to the Central African Republic (CAR) from 25 January to 3 February.

“I will take this opportunity to assess the implementation of the recommendations  I made during my last report to the Human Rights Council and which I shared with national authorities and key actors during my last visit in June 2016,” Ms. Keita Bocoum said.

“I will also follow up with the diplomatic community on the pledges, made during the November Brussels Donor Conference, to support the implementation of the National Plan for Recovery and Peace-Building and the concrete steps taken in this regard,” she noted.

During her ten-day mission, Ms. Keita Bocoum plans to meet in Bangui and other locations with government, legislative and judicial authorities, as well as UN representatives, civil society, non-governmental organizations and the diplomatic community to take stock of the situation and developments, notably in view of the recent upsurge of violence.

“I salute the institutional progress made during the last few months but remain concerned about the continuing instability, violence and insecurity,” she noted. “I therefore encourage all efforts aimed at consolidating peace in Central African Republic, including the November Donor Conference, held in Brussels.”

Ms. Keita Bocoum will report on her findings to the UN Human Rights Council on 21 March 2017.

The mandate of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Central African Republic was established by the Council of Human Rights on 27 September 2013. Ms. Marie-Thérèse Keita Bocoum, a former professor at the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Abidjan in Côte d’Ivoire, held various positions both in Côte d’Ivoire and in the UN. She was Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Burundi, Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights to UNOWA, as well as Director of the Division of Human Rights and the Representative of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in Darfur.

The Independent Experts are part of what is known as the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.

UN Human Rights, country page: Central African Republic

For more information and media requests, please contact:
In Bangui (during the visit): Marguerite BUKURU (Cell: tel+236 72644497 / bukurum@un.org) or Elvys Saint Faure Banga-Bothy (Cell: +23675501457 / banga-bothy@un.org)
In Geneva (before and after the visit): Vanessa Gosselin (+41 22 9179787 / vgosselin@ohchr.org) or write to ie-car@ohchr.org

For media inquiries related to other UN independent experts:
Xabier Celaya, OHCHR Media Unit (+ 41 22 917 9383 / xcelaya@ohchr.org)

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