High Commissioner’s mission to the Central African Republic

Thank you all very much for coming. Today, I am paying my first visit to the Central African Republic. In fact, it is my honour to be the very first UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to make an official visit to this country. I would like to thank the Government of CAR for inviting me to come, and for having been very flexible about the timing of the visit, which was originally scheduled for November last year.

Earlier today, I held a series of fruitful discussions with the Prime Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Justice and State Minister, Personal Advisor of the Head of State and a number of other key government officials. I have also had talks with the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and other senior United Nations officials. I was very pleased to note the good cooperation between UN agencies in the areas of human rights protection, education and economic and social rights.

Later today, I will also be meeting with various members of Civil Society working on human rights issues. Their perspectives, and the information they gather, are of course of great importance to the improvement and maintenance of human rights in all countries, and I very much look forward to hearing what they have to say.

The forthcoming election, scheduled to take place in exactly two months time, presents a tremendous opportunity for the Central African Republic, both to show the world and the people of CAR that it can hold successful, free and fair elections, and to take a great leap forward towards securing a peaceful democratic future. Peace, security and development ultimately all depend on human rights being upheld. So the importance of the work that is done over the next two months to try and ensure a successful election cannot be overestimated. I urge all sides, including the current government, the various opposition parties and the Independent Electoral Commission to put aside any lingering differences and work to make sure that the result of the election – whatever it may be – is one which the people of this country can trust and respect.

Obviously, in order to achieve such a result, freedom of expression and freedom of assembly will need to be upheld before, during and after the elections. Your work as journalists is, of course, of great importance during this period of transition to peace and democracy. In an electoral process, the role of the media in maintaining a neutral – but still, when necessary, critical – approach is absolutely crucial.

The Central African Republic faces many challenges on many levels, both domestic and international. The country is located in a region which has been particularly volatile over recent decades, and has been affected not just by its own internal difficulties and conflicts, but also by those affecting several of its neighbours.

In recent months, growing banditry in the northern Vakaga region and the presence of that particularly vicious group, the Lord’s Resistance Army, in the east of the country have inflicted much fear and misery among the inhabitants of these regions. Both these sources of instability will present special challenges when it comes to holding the elections in these areas.

It is the job of a High Commissioner for Human Rights to point out difficulties and gaps in the system, but I do not wish to be too negative, because there has undoubtedly been progress in certain areas.

The government has shown willingness to engage with the United Nations human rights system, including during the review of CAR under the UN Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review system in Geneva last May. The government has also, in recent years, cooperated with the independent UN experts dealing with extra-judicial, summary or arbitrary executions and internally displaced people, as well as with the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict. I would like to encourage the Government to extend invitations to other independent experts holding special mandates.

I have congratulated the Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice on the recent adoption by the National Assembly of the revised penal code and criminal procedure code, and have expressed my hope that the adoption of these revised laws will improve the administration of justice in CAR, in particular the independence of the judiciary and the fight against impunity.

This is a vital area: the continuing impunity for human rights violations, in particular among law enforcement agents and members of the armed forces, is of particular concern, and I have urged the government to continue to take concrete measures to provide redress to victims and bring perpetrators to justice. Summary executions, enforced disappearances, illegal arrests and detention are all issues that have surfaced in connection with state security and defense institutions, and strenuous efforts need to be made to put an end to these extremely serious abuses of power.

I have also expressed my deep concerns about the widespread sexual violence facing women in the Central African Republic – allegedly at the hands of both state and non-state actors, including the LRA – as well as about violence directed against women accused of being witches, a gender-based calumny that has no place in any society in the 21st century. All governments should act firmly to halt crimes such as these, and those responsible should be prosecuted and, if found guilty, should receive appropriate punishment, irrespective of who they are.

Female genital mutilation is prohibited by law in the Central African Republic, but is still carried out. I urge the government to make a special effort to eradicate this extremely harmful practice.

It is also important to raise awareness about these phenomena-witchcraft and female genital mutilation- among the general population, civil servants and law enforcement agents  alike.

I am also concerned about the continuing problem of recruitment of children by armed groups. Although there has reportedly been some improvement in this area, children are particularly vulnerable and need extra protection from this type of illegal exploitation.

One key element in improving the human rights situation in any country is to have a strong and independent national human rights institution. The Government has made commitments, including during its review by the UN Human Rights Council, to set up a National Human Rights Commission and to adopt a National Plan of Action on Human Rights by the end of 2010. The creation of an independent national human rights institution in line with international standards widely agreed to by Member States – known as the Paris Principles– is, however, far behind schedule, and I hope the government will make this an important priority both before and after the elections.

There are many difficult hurdles to overcome if the people of CAR are to enjoy a better future. The election is one of the first and the most important. But, in the long run, strengthening the rule of law and the justice system, uprooting entrenched impunity within state authorities, including the armed forces, and putting a halt to violence and exploitation are all key to the future well-being of this great country.

I would like to thank the Government and people of the Central African Republic for their warm welcome. It has been a privilege to visit this country and I hope to be back soon.

Thank you.