Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

110th session

Summary record of the 3000th meeting

Held at the Palais Wilson, Geneva, on Friday, 18 August 2023, at 10.00 a.m.

Chair:Ms. Shepherd

Contents

Consideration of reports, comments and information submitted by States parties under article 9 of the Convention (continued)

Combined nineteenth to twenty-third periodic reports of Senegal (continued)

The meeting was called to order at 10.45 a.m.

Consideration of reports, comments and information submitted by States parties under article 9 of the Convention (continued)

Combined nineteenth to twenty-third periodic reports of Senegal (continued) (CERD/C/SEN/19-23; CERD/C/SEN/Q/19-23)

At the invitation of the Chair, the delegation of Senegal joined the meeting.

Ms. Stavrinaki (Country Rapporteur)said that she would be grateful if the delegation would provide information concerning the ethnic groups affected by the Casamance conflict. Specifically, what measures had been taken to enable displaced persons to return to their homes and to ensure respect for the human rights of persons affected by the restrictions imposed following recent demonstrations. She would also be grateful to learn the number of persons who had benefited from the investment and support programmes in Casamance. Noting the State party’s intention to classify Casamance as a priority area for the development of tourism, she wished to know whether the populations concerned had been consulted and included in decisions affecting their rights and interests and whether any measures were in place to ensure that such development would be sustainable both for those populations and the environment. The Committee would appreciate it if the delegation could provide more specific information on the programme of reparations for civilian victims, including how many persons, including members of the Jola community, had been identified as victims and how many had received reparations, as well as a description of the reparations in question.

In the light of reports received by the Committee that efforts to protect talibé children had been ineffective, she wished to learn more about the measures taken by the State party since the submission of its report to implement the recommendations issued by the Committee in its previous concluding observations (CERD/C/SEN/CO/16-18). She also wished to know the number of complaints received, investigations launched, proceedings brought and convictions handed down in relation to cases of forced begging and any other form of abuse, ill-treatment or exploitation of talibé children.

She would be interested to learn about the modalities for granting refugee status in Senegal, including those established under the Act on the Status of Refugees and Stateless Persons. She wished in particular to learn the name of the body responsible for considering asylum requests, its composition, its procedures and whether it was adequately equipped and financed to process applications for asylum within a reasonable time frame. She also wished to learn how many applications for asylum the State party received per year and the average time taken to process an application. In addition, statistical data on the granting of refugee status would be appreciated, as would specific information about the situation of persons to whom refugee status was not granted, particularly in cases where applications for asylum were based on persecution in connection with sexual orientation. Were such persons sent back to their countries of origin?

The Committee would be grateful if the delegation would provide up-to-date information on the passports and identity cards issued to refugees, including whether planned reforms aimed at improving their quality and conditions for issuance had been implemented, whether the State party had a regular issuance mechanism in place, what measures had been taken to inform local authorities and banking institutions that they could accept those documents as forms of identification, how long applicants had to wait for a document to be issued and whether measures had been taken to enable applicants to enjoy certain rights while awaiting issuance of such documents. She had understood that asylum-seekers who had submitted an application to the National Commission on Eligibility for Refugee Status and had been issued with an acknowledgement of receipt were entitled to enjoy the same rights as nationals. She would be grateful to receive information on the type of jobs they took up and the health-care services they most often used, and also on the number of refugee children enrolled in school.

It would be useful for the Committee to receive information disaggregated by gender, sex and other socioeconomic indicators on migrants who were resident in Senegal. The delegation might describe what kind of jobs were taken up by such migrants, what measures had been taken to prevent racial discrimination against them and their exploitation in the informal economy and whether the Labour Code included provisions for measures to ensure that employers took preventive action to ensure that the principles of equality and non-discrimination were upheld. It would also be of interest to the Committee to find out whether any measures had been taken by the State party to integrate a gender perspective and protections for women migrants, including transsexual women migrants, into its legal framework and migration policy.

The Committee would be interested to receive statistical data on the application of the law governing the conditions of admission and stay for non-nationals in Senegal and for information about cases where the detention of migrants was permitted by law. She wished to know the number of migrants who had been detained, the circumstances of their detention and how many had been deported. The Committee would like to find out the maximum duration of administrative detention for migrants awaiting deportation. Data on the inspection of police stations and the guarantees in place for the conditions of detention and treatment within such premises would be welcome. She would also welcome more information about the treatment under Senegalese law of migrants as victims when they had not knowingly participated in the organization of smuggling, including the role that consent played in a person’s application for status as a victim of trafficking. In the context of the State party’s joint strategy with the European Union, she wished to know about any guarantees or procedures in place to ensure that the right to non-refoulement was upheld and collective expulsions were prohibited. In addition, the delegation might provide data, disaggregated by sex, on the number of persons arrested during border checks and the number of sentences handed down for human smuggling. It would be of interest to the Committee to learn how many of those cases involved migrants.

She would be grateful if the delegation would clarify the conditions required for foreign nationals who were members of trade unions to be able to take up administrative or managerial trade union functions and if it would inform the Committee how many migrants had done so. Lastly, the Committee had received reports of the sexual abuse and exploitation of children, particularly migrant children, in gold mines in Senegal. She wished to know what measures had been taken to identify and guarantee the protection of children who had been victims of trafficking or exploitation in and around mines.

Ms. Tebie (Country Task Force) said that she wished to know to what extent the State party had implemented the Banjul Plan of Action on the Eradication of Statelessness 2017–2024 and whether a national plan concerning statelessness had been drawn up. She also would like to know the estimated current population of stateless persons and persons at risk of statelessness in Senegal and to receive information on the measures taken to facilitate their integration into Senegalese society and their naturalization. In view of information received by the Committee indicating that a high number of children born in Senegal were not issued with birth certificates, she would like to find out about the State party’s intentions to implement a strategy to universalize birth registration, taking into account the particular situation of refugee children at risk of statelessness. Noting that the National Commission for the Management of Refugees and Stateless Persons had been established under the Act on the Status of Refugee and Stateless Persons, she said that she would be grateful for information about the commission’s composition, operation, means of action and scope of activity. She also wished to know more about the impact of the Act since its adoption in 2022.

The Committee welcomed the legal reform in 2013 granting Senegalese women the same rights as men in respect of the ability to confer nationality to their children and spouse. In that context, she would like to know how many children had benefited from that reform and whether Senegalese nationality was conferred to children whose parents’ identities were unknown.

The Committee would welcome information on the content and extent of human rights education and training programmes for pupils and students and for staff and management in public administration, particularly on issues concerning national and ethnic origin and racial discrimination, and on measures taken to promote human rights education in school syllabuses, teacher training programmes and the State and private media. She also wished to receive detailed information about awareness-raising campaigns that had been conducted on human rights and on the Convention, in particular for religious and traditional leaders, and the impact of those campaigns on the promotion of national cohesion and tolerance between different ethnic groups. In that connection, she wished to know about measures taken by the State party to preserve, protect and transmit traditions that promoted a more cohesive and peaceful society.

The restitution of cultural objects to the State party in 2020 had been a welcome development. She wondered whether there was any prospect of the return of other objects, including works of art, that had been taken during the colonial period, and what arrangements the State party had put in place to rebuild the cultural and historical heritage of populations who had fallen victim to trafficking and colonization.

The delegation might provide the Committee with information about how the State party’s education system taught about the history of the slave trade and how public policy on culture and citizenship dealt with its consequences.

She wished to know whether the implementation of a formal evaluation mechanism for the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action had been completed, and if so, with what results, and which of the measures and actions called for during the World Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance had been implemented by the State party. Lastly, she wished to know what activities the State party had planned to celebrate the International Decade for People of African Descent as it came into its final year and what memorials the State party had erected to show persons of African descent that their cultural and ancestral roots remained alive and well.

The Chair said that on the island of Gorée, she had seen many persons mourning and memorializing their ancestors who had been trafficked in the slave trade, but had also witnessed commercial activity by persons hoping to sell goods to those mourners, as though to tourists. She wondered whether any attempt had been made to educate those sellers about the reasons behind those mourners’ visit to the island, perhaps in the context of the International Decade for People of African Descent.

Ms. Ali Al-Misnad said that statistics showed that more than two fifths of Senegalese children were out of primary and secondary school, with attendance figures especially low for girls and disadvantaged children. She was also concerned that children in religious schools, who often came from poor families, were beaten and forced to beg. She would appreciate further information on that subject and on measures to improve the quality of education and access to education for poor children.

Mr. Diaby said that he would be grateful if the delegation could address the questions he had asked at the previous meeting regarding the excessive use of force by law enforcement and the adoption of a law for the protection of human rights defenders.

In 2022, the Egyptian Football Association had filed an official complaint against Senegal, claiming that Egyptian players had been subjected to racism and intimidation during a World Cup qualifying match. He wondered whether the Senegalese authorities had investigated the allegations, identified the perpetrators and referred the matter to the courts.

He would be interested to know what assistance the Government provided to Senegalese nationals who fell victim to racism and intolerance in other countries. It would also be interesting to know why the authorities had reportedly expelled Guinean migrants from Senegal despite the principle of free movement of people among the countries of the Economic Community of West African States.

Given that African troops had fought valiantly for the liberation of France from Nazi occupation, he was concerned to note that former combatants from Senegal had been discriminated against, as they received pensions worth only a fraction of those enjoyed by French veterans. He would like to know what steps the Government had taken to ensure that its citizens were treated equally.

It would be useful to know what progress Senegal had made towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. He wondered whether the Government had submitted any reports to the United Nations in that regard and what steps it had taken for the development of Indigenous Peoples who had been victims of the conflict in Casamance.

Lastly, he wished to know what steps the Government had taken to celebrate the International Decade for People of African Descent, which was due to end in 2024. Had any activities been carried out to support the reintegration of members of the Senegalese diaspora who had returned to the country?

Ms. Tlakula, noting that the Regulatory Authority for Telecommunications and Post was empowered by law to limit or block access to certain websites and social media platforms, said that she wished to find out whether Senegal had a law prohibiting online hate speech.

Mr. Kut said that he would be interested to know the status of the bill on daara modernization, which, according to the report, had been considered by the Council of Ministers in 2018. He wondered what had been achieved as a result of the increased support that had been provided to daara schools from technical and financial partners and the Government. The Committee would also like to know the extent to which the National Anti-Trafficking Unit had succeeded in protecting children from exploitation. Noting that the State party had undertaken to establish a complaints mechanism accessible to children, he said that it would be of interest to find out whether the relevant bill had been enacted and the post of a children’s ombudsman established. He would also welcome further information on plans implemented by the State party for the rescue of street children. Welcoming the enactment in 2022 of the Act on the Status of Refugees and Stateless Persons, he asked what its impact had been on the situation of migrants.

The meeting was suspended at 11.35 a.m. and resumed at 11.50 a.m.

Mr. Seck (Senegal) said that the Committee should be circumspect in its use of the expressions such as “excessive use of force”. During the recent illegal protests, the police and the defence and security forces had acted in accordance with principles of proportionality and necessity. As in any other country, law enforcement had responded to the destruction of public and private property, and in doing so had shown considerable restraint. In one notable instance, a police officer had been attacked by protesters but had refrained from using his firearm, avoiding serious bloodshed.

He was not aware of any recent arrests of human rights defenders. Anybody familiar with Senegal would know that its people enjoyed considerable freedom of expression. Human rights defenders, although not above the law, mostly did their jobs properly and without any interference from the authorities. If the Committee could name the individuals who had allegedly been arrested or prevented from doing their work, the delegation would be willing to provide clarification on their cases.

Following the football match between Senegal and Egypt, the authorities of both countries had submitted complaints to the Féderation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). In a previous match, the Senegalese team had been subjected to unacceptable racist remarks. During the match in Senegal, zealous fans had shone lasers at the Egyptian players but had not committed any acts of racism.

The consular authorities did their best to protect Senegalese nationals living abroad, including by denouncing and drawing the host country’s attention to acts of racism. The Government had taken steps to address discrimination against Senegalese veterans of the Second World War, of whom about 100 were still alive. One positive development had been an agreement with France that they could draw their pensions in Senegal. They had previously been obliged to remain in France in order to do so.

Mr. Ndiaye (Senegal) said that there were no ethnic groups specific to Casamance; the region’s problems related not to ethnicity, but to the activities of the Mouvement des Forces Démocratiques de Casamance. To promote economic development in that geographically isolated region, the Government and the World Bank had launched the Casamance Economic Development Project in two phases, with the participation of over 60 local government authorities. Restrictions on transport had been introduced, together with measures to prevent the spread of hate speech, as a legitimate response to the violent protests which had occurred. Those measures were intended to prevent criminal activity and ensure public safety.

Regarding reparations for civilian victims of the Casamance conflict, it should be noted that the Senegalese legal system allowed all aggrieved citizens to apply to the courts for redress. There was no compensation fund, as the State did not consider itself responsible for any wrongs committed against civilians. However, the Government recognized that insecurity had had a negative impact on the region’s economy and for that reason had launched the aforementioned Casamance Economic Development Project. It had also provided significant funding to the National Agency for Economic and Social Recovery in Casamance in order to support the resumption of economic activities by residents of the region.

The National Child Protection Strategy of 2013 envisaged the protection of all children, without discrimination on the grounds of race, sex, religion, social status or racial or ethnic origin. The Strategy was implemented by the health services and various ministries, with the support of communities, grass-roots social welfare organizations and persons in a position to report situations of concern. Mechanisms had been set up to protect children from forced begging, forced marriage, early pregnancy, female genital mutilation, rape and other forms of abuse or violence or neglect and to provide victims with access to remedies and reintegration. Specialized children’s courts afforded judicial and social protection.

To address the problem of talibé child beggars, presidential directives had been issued in 2016 and 2018 calling for the removal of such children from the streets. A strategy had been adopted with the goal of returning 10,000 child beggars to their families, and so far, half of the target had been met. The Directorate of Judicial and Social Protection of the Ministry of Justice received and acted upon requests for assistance from children who had fled their daara because of physical abuse or economic exploitation, and a monitoring and alert system was in place. The Directorate thus provided a remedy for children who had been forced to beg. The remedy consisted of detection, placement in a reception centre and return to the family. As a result, on average, some 1,000 child beggars were taken off the streets each year.

In respect of trafficking in persons, in 2021, the Directorate had assisted 1,894 children, of whom 831 had been subjected to forced begging; 628 had been living on the street; 245 had been subjected to sexual exploitation and 136 had been subjected to economic exploitation. In the same year, the Directorate had assisted 122 girls who had been subjected to forced marriage, 54 girls with unwanted pregnancies, 31 girls who had been victims of genital mutilation and 344 child victims of rape.

In 2022, a new law establishing the National Commission for the Management of Refugees and Stateless Persons had been enacted. The law was designed to address certain problems and gaps in the management of migration. The National Commission on Eligibility for Refugee Status had been placed under the Office of the President in order to improve oversight of its activities. It was now chaired by a civil servant, and its role in the judicial protection of asylum-seekers and refugees had been clarified. Persons benefiting from refugee status had the same rights Senegalese citizens, including the rights to work, to own property and to freedom of religion, and refugees had access to justice, medical care, social security coverage and social protection.

Persons wishing to form a trade union were required to notify the competent authorities in advance. The Government respected the right of workers to form associations in defence of their interests and did not restrict that right.

Mr. Ndiaye (Senegal) said that, regarding statelessness and the application of the Convention, Senegal had adopted the law establishing the National Commission on Eligibility for Refugee Status in order to comply with its international obligations. There were no restrictions on the registration of births, deaths or marriages, regardless of whether the individuals concerned were migrants or Senegalese nationals. The Nationality Code had been amended so that foreign spouses of all Senegalese nationals were able to acquire Senegalese nationality.

All education and training centres offered modules addressing human rights and covering the Convention.

Groups from secondary schools had met with the President of France to request the return to Senegal of Senegalese artwork. There was a need to train those involved in managing the process and curating the artwork in order to ensure future generations’ access to the works of their ancestors.

On the island of Gorée, a historic site visited by many members of the diaspora and where the House of Slaves was located, commercial activities – in which the Indigenous population also participated – were carried out because tourists visited the site. The curator was aware of the need to ensure that such activities were appropriate. It was important to ensure that visits for the purpose of remembrance could take place in the best conditions, while also allowing the commercial activities to take place.

Senegal had made great progress in the field of education. Education was accessible at all levels, and the gross school enrolment ratio was at a record 91.2 per cent for girls and 77.1 per cent for boys. The State was investing significant amounts in education. Primary and secondary education were free of charge, exam results had improved markedly since 2013 and the literacy and numeracy rates in the last year of primary school now exceeded 50 per cent. National languages had been introduced in the education system, as had special classes for children who had been out of education. Over 6,000 children had been brought back into mainstream education.

Mechanisms to combat violence in schools included the use of a new follow-up platform and the introduction of focal points among teaching staff. Human rights education had been incorporated into the primary and secondary school curricula, including a focus on slavery, with visits to the island of Gorée obligatory to commemorate the events that had taken place there. A new curriculum was under development and would cover the general history of Senegal, including information on historic leaders involved in building the State and in the country’s independence movement.

Some form of discrimination occurred in all countries. However, racial discrimination did not occur in Senegal.

Regarding reports of the excessive use of force by the security services, they had acted in a context where protesters had resorted to violence, including with the use of Molotov cocktails, with civilians who had nothing to do with the protests being among the casualties. Recordings showed that the State’s security forces had done their utmost to maintain public order.

Senegal had a tradition of protecting human rights defenders and creating the ideal conditions for them to conduct their work properly. Legislation relating to human rights defenders had been proposed by the Ministry of Justice.

The complaint of racist remarks at a football match filed by Egypt against Senegal was being dealt with by the Conféderation Africaine de Football.

The Ministry of Justice regularly worked with Senegalese consulates to protect Senegalese citizens who were victims of racism in other countries.

Senegal was a member of the Economic Community of West African States, which allowed for freedom of movement, but which also allowed the return of citizens to the border in the event of a threat to public order. The use of the term “expulsion” was incorrect. The persons in question were a small group that had been involved in protests. They had been arrested and had been returned to the border as an alternative to imprisonment.

The National Broadcasting Regulation Council monitored television, radio and social media content to detect and combat hate speech. The use of hate speech on social media posed a challenge. Public prosecutors had, however, been instructed to prosecute perpetrators and also to make use of civil proceedings to limit or remove content containing hate speech. A sudden increase in hate speech had been observed. It was not in line with the country’s traditions or lived experience.

The justice system had addressed many cases of talibé children involved in forced begging. There had been an inquiry into the situation of a Qur’anic teacher who had been accused of rape, and the Ministry of Justice had instructed all public prosecutors to automatically launch investigations whenever they received information relating to rape cases. Four cases relating to abuse and forced begging had been taken to court. The State was engaged in awareness-raising campaigns to combat abuse and forced begging in Qur’anic schools and was considering a law setting out conditions for their establishment and operation. The situation was particularly difficult to address owing to sociological reasons such as the proliferation of Qur’anic teachers, their links with marabout families and the perception that a lack of support for daara schools was a rejection of religion. The State had also successfully removed many children from the streets and returned them to their families or to the daara s, particularly prior to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. However, since the pandemic, there had been an influx of talibé children arriving from outside Senegal. Working with the Nigerian authorities, the Senegalese Government had successfully returned a number of migrant talibé children to their families in 2022. Senegal was committed to protecting migrants and ensuring they benefited from the same conditions as others, as demonstrated by the legislative changes. Reception centres housed children once they were taken off the streets and provided optimal conditions for their return to their families.

Schooling was compulsory between the ages of 6 and 16 and children who had been out of school were permitted to resume their schooling in the best possible conditions.

People were not expelled from the country without reason, and when they were subject to expulsion they had the possibility to appeal, including with the help of non-governmental organizations. The State ensured that the necessary conditions were in place for such appeals so that decisions on appeal were issued within 48 hours.

Legislation on the modernization of Qur’anic schools in the country had not yet been adopted, but there was a government programme to support daaras and distribute monthly food supplies to them to ensure that children were properly fed and lived in acceptable conditions.

Ms. Stavrinaki said that the delegation’s response regarding the question of reparations for individuals in Casamance was unsatisfactory. The people affected by the conflict were primarily Jola, and paragraph 104 of the country report had spoken of reparations.

The Committee had still not received information on measures taken to inspect Qur’anic schools. The delegation’s response regarding child abuse by Qur’anic teachers had addressed religion, but not the important issue of the rights of the child. The Committee would like to know what measures had been taken to understand why such abuse occurred. She was curious to find out how, when abuse took place, legal action was taken against the perpetrators, and who initiated such action. It was difficult for a child to do so. She wondered whether statistics were available on the number of talibé children in Qur’anic schools and the extent to which their families’ socioeconomic status might contribute to the reasons for them being sent there.

She welcomed the adoption of the Act on the Status of Refugees and Stateless Persons. The delegation had referred to problems indicating that there were indeed instances of racial discrimination in Senegal. Unequal enjoyment of rights and access to services was a global issue; Senegal was no exception.

She would like to receive some clarification on the topic of expulsions. While the delegation maintained that there were no expulsions from Senegal, that term had been used in paragraphs 141 and 142 of the State party’s report. She also sought clarification regarding freedom of association and the right to join trade unions. Paragraph 52 of the State party’s report stated that there was a requirement of five years of residence in Senegal to enjoy such rights.

Ms. Tebie said that, although the delegation maintained that there were no restrictions on the registration of births, the Committee was concerned about the fact that, in practice, birth registration was particularly low for some groups, especially refugee children.

She wished to understand the relationship between the National Commission for the Management of Refugees and Stateless Persons and the National Commission on Eligibility for Refugee Status. Specifically, had one body replaced the other, or did they operate in parallel?

Mr. Ndiaye (Senegal) said that the motivation behind the adoption in 2022 of the Act on the Status of Refugees and Stateless Persons had not been problems of racial discrimination but issues regarding the independence, management and operation of the National Commission on Eligibility for Refugee Status. The new legislation, which contained provisions designed to ensure respect for the guarantees enshrined in national laws and international conventions, had replaced that body with the National Commission for the Management of Refugees and Stateless Persons, which reported to the Office of the President. The new body provided assistance such as legal and administrative protection to refugees, asylum-seekers and stateless persons and issued opinions on matters relating to applications for refugee status or statelessness. The Government would in due course take stock of the impact of the changes introduced by the Act.

The situation in Casamance was not an issue of ethnic conflict or racial discrimination. Many of the persons living there were not members of the Jola community, and many members of the community had no connection with Casamance. The Mouvement des Forces Démocratiques de Casamance was driven by territorial rather than ethnic factors. The Government had entered into a partnership with the Gambia to make it possible to cross directly to Casamance, thus opening the region up.

Mr. Seck (Senegal) said that the Government refuted the notion that the Casamance conflict involved an ethnic component. He urged the Committee to omit from future texts any such comments alluding to reparations that would be owed to the Jola community. The Government would reject any future texts that called for such reparations.

Mr. Ndiaye (Senegal) said that, in law, a fault had to be recognized in order for the notion of reparations to come into play. No national or international court had found that the State had committed a fault in Senegal, nor had the Government made a statement of responsibility for any damage. Indeed, the State guaranteed security and the rights of all citizens in Senegal. The population of the Casamance region had simply suffered as a result of a period of insecurity comparable with situations that occurred all over the world. In response, as indicated in the State party report, the Government was now helping the people of Casamance to resume their economic activities in the best possible conditions. Describing those people as victims and the support they were receiving as reparations would be inaccurate.

Ms. Stavrinaki said that she wished to clarify that the Committee had not taken a position on the conflict in Casamance. It had simply presented the logical follow-up to the information presented by the State party in its periodic report. Reparations were not granted solely on the back of legal findings but could also be awarded by commissions, for example.

Ms. Esseneme said that she would like the delegation to clarify who faced prosecution in child begging cases and how aggravating circumstances were considered. It would be helpful to know the difference between beggars and griots and whether the occupation practised by the latter was considered a problem.

She would also appreciate more information about how electronic tagging was implemented in the event of a conviction. She wished to know who ordered the wearing of an electronic tag on the day of sentencing and how the wearing of the electronic tag and the wearer’s location were monitored for the duration of the sentence.

Mr. Diaby said that, when preparing for its dialogue with States parties, the Committee received and cross-checked information from civil society and international organizations. The dialogue itself provided the best opportunity to obtain official information and raise any concerns with States parties, which in turn had the opportunity to make an official response. While the Committee had seen numerous reports, including from the Department of State of the United States of America and Amnesty International, on the use of force and human rights violations by the defence and security forces in Senegal, the Committee would take into account the delegation’s response.

He wished to receive statistics indicating the numbers of persons of African descent returning to live in Senegal and wondered whether the Government had considered taking steps to help them integrate and settle there, for example by granting them Senegalese nationality. The Committee would be interested to learn what progress had been made in attaining the country’s sustainable development goals and what measures the Government had planned or had undertaken to mitigate the loss owing to climate change of livelihood of certain communities traditionally supported by fishing. Such losses had led to population movements that created tensions with neighbouring countries and loss of life on dangerous migration routes.

Mr. Ndiaye (Senegal) said that, with respect to aggravating circumstances when minors were exploited for the purpose of begging, the owners, directors or managers of daaras who organized and profited from the begging activities of minors were considered to be the perpetrators of the offence.

Griots were a social reality and formed part of Senegalese tradition. They performed a role at family ceremonies, praising family members in return for a small payment. In present day Senegal, the practice was often not performed by recognized griots. It had become less economically viable because payments were now less likely to be made.

Electronic tagging could be used only with the convicted person’s consent, for sentences that did not exceed 3 years or had at least 6 months still left to run, and for a period not exceeding the duration of the sentence. Tagging allowed convicts to serve their sentences outside prison on provisional release, with their movements tracked by an electronic geolocation chip. If they crossed geographical boundaries set by the judge, which were indicated on the tag and explained to the wearer during fitting, they would receive a phone call from the control centre and could ultimately be required to complete the remainder of their sentence in prison. Electronic tagging was not used for older or ill persons. The measure had been applied 262 times since its adoption in 2022, and 212 bracelets were currently active.

Mr. Seck (Senegal) said that the Government attached great importance to the work of the Committee. In the light of the attention and respect the Committee’s work attracted across the world, he wished to urge it to take its role seriously and exercise caution in its choice of source material and the wording of its statements.

Ms. Stavrinaki said that she was grateful to the delegation for their answers, noting that it would have been helpful to also exchange views with members of the delegation that worked on the issues in question on a daily basis. While legislation such as the Act on the Status of Refugees and Stateless Persons and the Labour Code had the potential to significantly improve the implementation of the prohibition of racial discrimination and of the Convention, it was unfortunate that the State party’s understanding of racial discrimination had shown little progress since the previous dialogue. It apparently reduced structural inequalities in Senegal to a private matter.

Mr. Ndiaye (Senegal) said that he wished to thank the Committee. The Government would refer to its concluding observations in preparation for the next interactive dialogue and would work to ensure that agreement was reached on the terms and definitions used.

The meeting rose at 1.20 p.m.