Human Rights Committee

145th session

Summary record of the 4269th meeting

Held at the Palais Wilson, Geneva, on Friday, 6 March 2026, at 10 a.m.

Chair:Mr. Soh

Contents

Consideration of reports submitted by States Parties under article 40 of the Covenant (continued)

Third periodic report of Chad (continued)

The meeting was called to order at 10 a.m.

Consideration of reports submitted by States Parties under article 40 of the Covenant (continued)

Third periodic report of Chad (continued) (CCPR/C/TCD/3; CCPR/C/TCD/Q/3; CCPR/C/TCD/RQ/3)

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

Mr. Quezada Cabrera said that he wished to learn what steps the State Party was taking to improve the living conditions of persons with albinism and their access to healthcare. He would like to know whether the State Party was investigating allegations regarding the enforced disappearance of at least 10 activists and political opponents in 2025 and of more than 200 persons during the events of October 2022; whether a commission of inquiry on enforced disappearance had been established, as agreed under the Doha Peace Agreement and the 2022 inclusive and sovereign national dialogue; how cases of enforced disappearance were prosecuted, given the absence of an offence under the Criminal Code covering such situations; and whether the decision of the investigating judge to close the case of the kidnapping and subsequent disappearance of Ibni Oumar Mahamat Saleh on the grounds that the identity of the perpetrators remained unknown should be understood to mean that investigating judges could not order investigative measures to determine perpetrators’ identities.

He would appreciate information on any training provided to members of the police and security forces on the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and the Manual on the Effective Investigation and Documentation of Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (Istanbul Protocol), and on any investigations conducted into the allegations of mass arrests during the protests of 20 October 2022, the torture and ill-treatment of the persons arrested and the illegal transfer of hundreds of them to Koro Toro Prison. He wished to know whether steps were being taken to investigate cases of secret detention and punish the perpetrators.

It would be helpful for the delegation to comment on reports that there had been an increasing number of cases of arbitrary arrest and torture of opposition members, activists and human rights lawyers by members of the security forces, including the National Security Agency, in 2024 and 2025. He wished to know whether the Agency was authorized to carry out arrests and, if so, on what grounds. He wondered whether the State Party planned to establish an independent mechanism for the prevention of torture and ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

Ms. Donders said that she wished to know whether the National Commission to Combat Human Trafficking had sufficient human and financial resources and how its various anti‑trafficking efforts were implemented. It would be useful to learn how the State Party was combating forced labour, what support services and complaint mechanisms were available to victims, whether the transit centres that provided temporary accommodation were present in rural areas, how victims were informed of the services available and whether the centres had adequate resources. She would like to know how many individuals had been convicted of trafficking in persons in recent years, whether the victims had been awarded compensation, what steps were being taken to strengthen the capacity of judges, prosecutors and police officers to investigate and prosecute trafficking cases and whether the training provided by the State Party to judges, prosecutors, lawyers and police officers on combating trafficking was mandatory and available in rural areas.

She wondered how the State Party ensured that any restrictions on freedom of expression complied with the principles of legality, necessity and proportionality and that its laws did not include broad or vague clauses that could allow excessive restrictions on freedom of expression, and why amendments to the Criminal Code announced in 2023 had not yet been adopted or published. She wished to know what the State Party was doing to combat the harassment of and the threats and reprisals against politicians, journalists and human rights defenders and to ensure that all alleged violations of freedom of expression were investigated and that perpetrators were held accountable.

It would be helpful for the delegation to comment on reports of an Internet shutdown following the October 2022 protests, the suspension of dozens of media outlets in March 2024, during the presidential campaign, and the denial of access, since June 2025, to the village of Manndakao to journalists seeking to investigate acts of intercommunal violence there. She would like to know what measures were being taken by the State Party to protect freedom of assembly, to ensure that the broad legal definitions of terms such as “breach of public order” were not used arbitrarily to prohibit peaceful assemblies, and to amend its regulations to require the notification of assemblies rather than authorization for them. She would appreciate the delegation’s response to allegations that the police had forced the cancellation of a conference in N’Djamena on justice for the victims of the regime of the former President Hissène Habré.

Ms. Bassim said that she wished to know to what extent the conditions set out in the Constitution for declaring a state of emergency were compatible with article 4 of the Covenant and the Committee’s general comment No. 29 (2001). She would be grateful for information on the number of complaints filed regarding violence against women and any resulting investigations, prosecutions and awards of reparations. She would also appreciate information on measures taken to avoid prolonged police custody, the impact of the provisions of the 2017 Code of Criminal Procedure on eradicating prolonged and abusive pretrial detention and the remedies available to detainees to challenge arbitrary arrest. She would be grateful for data on the number of people placed in pretrial detention and for how long, and she wondered how many detainees had access to court-appointed lawyers. She also wondered what steps the State Party was taking to encourage the use of non-custodial measures, improve the conditions of detention and treatment of prisoners and establish effective and confidential mechanisms for the reporting of violations of prisoners’ rights. Lastly, she wished to know the results of the investigation requested by the National Human Rights Commission into the deaths of 44 alleged Boko Haram members in the cells of the N’Djamena gendarmerie in a single night in April 2020.

Mr. Saidov said that he wished to know how the constitutional guarantee of judicial independence was ensured in practice, what the procedures were for the appointment, promotion, transfer and dismissal of judges, what body had disciplinary authority over judges and how the independence of that body was guaranteed. He wondered whether there had been recent cases in which judges had been subjected to disciplinary measures after issuing decisions perceived as unfavourable by the authorities, He would appreciate information on any safeguards protecting judges from undue influence, pressure or reprisals, any anti-corruption mechanisms in place in the judicial branch, the number of recent complaints of corruption or undue interference involving members of the judiciary and any measures to increase transparency in judicial proceedings.

He wished to know how soon after being deprived of liberty a person was able to receive legal assistance. He would be grateful for information on safeguards to ensure that statements obtained under coercion were excluded from evidence; remedies available to defendants alleging violations of their fair trial rights; the structure and funding of the legal aid system; and the number of requests for legal aid that had been accepted in recent years and the number that had been rejected.

It would be helpful for the delegation to indicate the specific laws that contained prohibitions on early and forced marriage and corporal punishment and the number of investigations, prosecutions and convictions that there had been relating to such practices. He wished to know whether any complaint mechanisms were available to children, whether early identification and referral systems were in place to prevent children from falling into street situations, how social services and law enforcement agencies, judicial authorities and local administrations coordinated their efforts in responding to such cases, how many children were in street situations and what measures were taken to promote their rehabilitation and reintegration. Information on the budgets of child protection programmes would be appreciated. He would like to learn whether any programmes for demobilizing children from the armed forces and armed groups were operational, what measures were in place for the protection and long-term reintegration of such children and how interministerial coordination was ensured in such efforts.

He wondered what legislative, institutional and practical safeguards were in place to ensure free elections and political pluralism and how members of the Independent National Electoral Commission were appointed. He would like to know how the State Party ensured the independence of the Commission and judicial bodies responsible for adjudicating pre- and post-electoral disputes, the participation of civil society organizations, opposition political parties and all ethnic groups in public affairs and the timely dissemination of electoral information to the public. He wished to know whether the killing of Yaya Dillo, leader of the Parti socialiste sans frontières (Socialist Party without Borders) had been investigated; if so, what the findings had been; and what steps had been taken to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. He would like to know whether there was a permanent national mechanism for preparing reports to and implementing the recommendations of treaty bodies and how responsibility for the Committee’s recommendations were distributed among the relevant ministries.

Mr. Ndiaye said that it would be useful to have a full account of any investigations into the events that had taken place in Miandoum in November 2016, in Goré in February 2017, in Abéché in January 2022 and in N’Djamena in October 2022. He would like to know how the State Party planned to combat impunity and safeguard the right to truth and reparation of the victims and their families and whether it was taking steps, including through transitional justice mechanisms, to ensure that such events did not reoccur. He would appreciate a response to his question about whether the State Party’s legislation and operational procedures governing the use of force and firearms by law enforcement officials and the security forces were in line with the Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials and the United Nations Human Rights Guidance on Less-Lethal Weapons in Law Enforcement.

It would be helpful to learn how the State Party ensured that its refugee status determination procedure was fair and effective, what guarantees were in place to ensure full compliance with the principle of non‑refoulement and what steps were being taken to identify persons at risk of statelessness among Sudanese refugees, internally displaced persons and returnees from the Central African Republic. He would appreciate information on the mandate and resources of the National Commission for the Reintegration of Refugees and Stateless Persons, the composition and powers of its appeals subcommittee and the number of appeals that the subcommittee had reviewed in recent years. He wished to know the capacity of the refugee camps and the number of persons actually living at those camps. He wondered what was being done to ensure adequate safety and living conditions in the camps. He would like to know how the programmes on support and access to justice for women and girls who were victims of sexual violence were coordinated at an institutional level, how long the programmes were expected to run and what steps were being taken to ensure that refugees and internally displaced persons had access to legal and protection services throughout the country.

The meeting was suspended at 10.50 a.m. and resumed at 11.15 a.m.

A representative of Chad said that there were very few persons with albinism in Chad, and they faced no particular discrimination or stigmatization. If they could not afford healthcare, they could obtain it through the medical assistance programme for persons in need. The Government had in some cases initiated judicial proceedings following a report of enforced disappearance. In the case of Ibni Oumar Mahamat Saleh, the investigating judge had issued a discharge and closed the case when he could not identify the person against whom the complaint had been filed. However, the case could, procedurally, be taken up again at a later date if there was new evidence.

Deaths had occurred during the events of October 2022, and many arrests had been made, with some of the persons arrested being sent to the Koro Toro high-security prison. After judgments had been handed down and many of the individuals had been convicted, the Government had decided, as part of its “extended hand” policy, to grant the perpetrators amnesty, resulting in the release of all the persons who had been arrested.

A representative of Chad said that the Doha Peace Agreement called for investigations into disappearances of representatives of both the Government and of the rebel movements. The Agreement was currently at the implementation stage, and not all its provisions had yet been given effect. A recommendation that had come out of the inclusive national dialogue had laid the basis for the introduction of a transitional justice process. The Office of the Ombudsman had been mandated to implement the process, and the preparatory steps had – with the help of partners such as the United Nations Development Programme and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights – begun some time earlier. During preliminary discussions, the need had been raised for the process to be tailored to the situation in Chad, a country that had experienced more than 30 years of war, so that the issues of the past would not arise again.

A representative of Chad said that the National Security Agency was able to arrest individuals involved in matters relating to national security. When the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights received reports regarding persons in the custody of the intelligence services, it worked to ensure that their cases were handled appropriately. If there had been no offence, the persons were released.

A representative of Chad said that ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment was a matter that required careful consideration. The right opportunity must be found to initiate the process. The national action plan of the National Commission to Combat Human Trafficking addressed matters such as training for judges, prosecutors and the criminal investigation police and victim protection and assistance. When cases of trafficking were reported, the victims were referred to government-run social centres that were present throughout the country. Centres run by non-governmental organizations (NGOs) also provided services to victims. A national referral mechanism was in place. When a case of trafficking was reported, the criminal investigation police were notified, and the case was then brought before a judge. In terms of funding, there was a budgeted plan, for which the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights was responsible. The Commission submitted terms of reference, which required approval, for the activities that it wished to carry out.

A representative of Chad said that, when the Government had attempted to collect data from courts on cases involving trafficking in persons, it had found that judges often confused that offence with the offence of kidnapping of minors – confusion that highlighted the need for further training. The Government had set up a platform to collect data on convictions in cases of trafficking in persons from the appellate courts with jurisdiction over the areas where such cases were the most concentrated.

A representative of Chad said that journalists’ access to Manndakao had been restricted simply to protect the crime scene. The restrictions had been lifted after two days, and the Government itself had organized a visit to the site by the press so that they could report on the situation.

A representative of Chad said that the death of Yaya Dillo had occurred during armed clashes between his supporters and law enforcement; his next of kin and the leadership of his political party had subsequently lodged complaints, and the Public Prosecution Service had requested that an investigation should be conducted. The investigating judge would in due course present his findings to Mr. Diallo’s family and his political party.

Following serious violence in the village of Manndakao, the law enforcement authorities had intervened to restore security and conduct an investigation. An investigating judge had been appointed, criminal proceedings opened and suspects questioned. Several people had been arrested in connection with the violence, including the politician Succès Masra, who had been prosecuted for incitement to hatred.

During his trial, Mr. Masra had received all due process safeguards. The investigating judge had transferred the evidence to the Public Prosecution Service, and the competent criminal court had convicted him on the basis of that evidence. An appeal had been lodged, and the higher court would pass judgment in due course. Mr. Masra’s family had been granted permission to visit him, and his physician could attend to him at any time. Claims that he had been deprived of his rights were therefore untrue.

Two sets of proceedings had been opened in relation to the deaths in custody of 44 suspected members of Boko Haram. The first concerned the 14 survivors of the incident, who had been charged with terrorism offences. In that case, the investigating judge, having analysed the facts, had dropped the charges and ordered the prisoners’ release. In the second case, an investigation had been opened into persons unknown. Survivors and law enforcement officers had been interviewed as witnesses and their testimony taken. Subsequently, accusations had been made against certain law enforcement officers, who had been placed under formal investigation. The delegation was unable to share further details regarding the progress of an ongoing investigation.

A representative of Chad said that Yaya Dillo could not be considered to have been murdered, as there was no sign of premeditation or preparation for an attempt on his life. Following an armed attack on the National Security Agency, an investigation had been conducted and the public prosecutor had issued an arrest warrant for those suspected of involvement. However, the law enforcement officers who had gone to enforce the warrant had met with resistance: they had come under fire and some had been killed. It was in that context that Mr. Dillo had lost his life.

A representative of Chad said that restrictions on peaceful assembly had been introduced in 2023 in the light of the exceptional circumstances the country was experiencing. However, as the country became calmer and the threat of public disorder receded, the Government would likely amend the relevant ordinances or allow them to expire, meaning that civil society organizations would no longer have to request authorization in order to hold meetings.

Article 93 of the Constitution of 2023 allowed the Head of State to declare a state of emergency, with the agreement of the National Assembly, in the event of a threat to the institutions of the Republic. In the past, states of emergency had been declared on both security and public health grounds. During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, the Government had issued a decree establishing a state of emergency in order to protect the public in regions where many cases of the disease had been reported.

A representative of Chad said that article 93 of the Constitution and Ordinance No. 008/PT/2023 effectively laid down the conditions under which a state of emergency could be declared. Article 93 was consistent with article 4 of the Covenant, since it stated that exceptional measures under the state of emergency must be compatible with human rights and legal safeguards.

A representative of Chad said that the Government had drawn up various strategic documents, including the second iteration of the National Strategy to Combat Gender-Based Violence and the third generation of the road map to combat child marriage and female genital mutilation, revised in 2024. It was working to improve the country’s gender-based violence indicators and to ensure that complaints were treated seriously and perpetrators punished. Training had been provided to traditional chiefs, teachers, criminal investigation officers, humanitarian workers and leaders of NGOs. Care had been provided to 82 victims of gender-based violence, notably in Mandoul Province. The Government and its partners were concentrating their preventive efforts on the Provinces of Mandoul, Ouaddaï and Tandjilé, which were known to have high rates of gender-based violence. In July 2025, the Ministry of Social Action, Solidarity and Humanitarian Affairs had provided holistic care, including legal assistance, to more than 1,000 victims of gender-based violence, including in cases linked to traditional practices. The Government sought to closely involve traditional chiefs in awareness-raising activities, with an approach that recognized religious sensitivities and encouraged communities to declare their abandonment of female genital mutilation and child marriage.

A representative of Chad said that the Government acknowledged that abuses had been committed against individuals upon being taken into police custody. The Code of Criminal Procedure had therefore been amended in order to strengthen the regulations on police custody and to protect individual rights and freedoms. Police custody at the weekend had been prohibited, except where a serious or flagrant offence had been committed. Prosecutors had received training on the new regulations.

The Government had taken steps to address delays in criminal proceedings. A circular had been issued instructing courts to render judgment promptly in all cases. One judge had recently reported that a backlog of 1,700 cases had been cleared and that his court was now hearing new cases.

The Government was also working to ensure that the courts effectively tackled corruption. The Ministry of Justice and Human Rights had established a general inspectorate of court and prison services, which ensured oversight of the courts. If a complaint of corruption was received, it would investigate and could refer the case to the Supreme Council of Justice for disciplinary action. Some judges had recently been removed from office.

The defence of accused persons was governed by article 50 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The criminal investigation police must promptly inform persons under arrest of their right to be assisted by counsel. Failure to notify the person of that right would render the police report null and void. Accused persons had the right to a lawyer of their choosing or to be assisted by another person. The law also provided for court-appointed counsel. A decree extending legal aid to those who could not afford to hire a lawyer had been drafted and was awaiting adoption. Legal aid was currently provided only to persons who had been charged with serious offences.

The aforementioned circular on the prompt adjudication of cases had contributed to efforts to reduce prison overcrowding. A team of judges had been dispatched to Koro Toro Prison, where a large number of prisoners had been awaiting trial, and had tried more than 600 detainees. Some prisoners who had been convicted had been released because they had already served their term of imprisonment. Similar court sessions were being organized at other short-stay prisons, including those of Mongo and Moundou.

The Government was cognizant of its responsibility to provide medical care in prisons. The International Committee of the Red Cross and the Ministry of Health conducted visits, including to Koro Toro and N’Djamena Prisons, to examine prisoners and provide them with care. Although the Government continued to strive to protect prisoners’ right to health, capacity constraints meant that medical care was still lacking in some prisons.

In addition, the Government ensured the provision of food. It had increased the food budget for prisons and had taken steps to involve provincial governors and human rights defenders in monitoring the quality and quantity of food provided to prisoners.

A representative of Chad said that, with the adoption of Act No. 027/PR/2020, the Asylum Act, and its implementing decree, Chad had become one of the first countries in Africa to have passed a law on the international protection of refugees. Article 36 of the Act was consistent with the principle of non-refoulement, since it prohibited the expulsion or refoulement of refugees to a territory where their life or liberty would be in danger. The Act also recognized refugees’ rights to education, healthcare and employment on an equal basis with nationals. Refugees enjoyed freedom of movement and had access to land.

The Sudanese crisis since 2023 had created enormous humanitarian needs, especially in terms of shelter, water, hygiene and sanitation. Refugee camps were crowded, so it was necessary to extend existing sites and build new ones. New camps had been created in eastern Chad in order to relieve overcrowding. Some refugees had been relocated away from the international border, in accordance with guidelines from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and placed in appropriate facilities for their protection. Some former refugee camps in the east had been repurposed as transit and guidance centres. The Government and its partners had invested significant efforts in providing refugees with adequate shelter, drinking water, healthcare and education.

The Government had made the fight against statelessness a priority. Since 2021, Chad had undertaken a major birth registration programme for refugees and internally displaced persons. To prevent refugees from becoming stateless, awareness-raising had been conducted on the importance of identity documents.

The National Commission for the Reintegration of Refugees and Stateless Persons was mandated to apply international legal instruments and national laws on the protection of refugees and asylum-seekers, including the Asylum Act. While the Commission was funded by the Government, it also received support from partners and carried out its own fundraising to ensure that it could come to the aid of refugees living in camps.

A representative of Chad said that national laws safeguarded the independence of judges from any interference or pressure. The Constitution and the Act on the Organization of the Judiciary provided that the judiciary was independent and composed of a single order of courts, and that justice was guaranteed by the Head of State. By law, political authorities including the Head of State and the Minister of Justice and Human Rights could not sit on the Supreme Council of Justice. The Council was an independent body, chaired by the President of the Supreme Court, that was in charge of the appointment of judges and any disciplinary proceedings against them. Notwithstanding the oversight role of the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, which consisted in preventing corruption and ensuring the sound administration of justice, no political pressure could be applied to members of the judiciary. Judges and prosecutors guarded their independence and could refuse any requests that they deemed to be inconsistent with the law.

Ms. Donders said that she would be grateful for a response to her questions on sexual and reproductive health and rights, including information on measures to prevent teenage pregnancy. Noting that the Chad Connection 2030 national development plan included a chapter on justice, she said that she would be interested to know whether the plan envisaged justice reform in line with the State Party’s obligations under the Covenant, and whether it mainstreamed a human rights-based approach.

Mr. Quezada Cabrera said that he would be grateful if the delegation could comment on reports of harsh conditions of detention at Koro Toro Prison, which had been described as isolated. He would appreciate clarification of whether State agents who had been accused of torture and ill-treatment of detainees had benefited from the amnesty covering the events of 20 October 2022.

Mr. Saidov said that he was pleased to note that the delegation included a member of the National Assembly, in keeping with the approach recommended by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. The delegation would thus be able to convey the views and recommendations of the Committee to parliamentarians in Chad. It was also important that the National Assembly should consider the recommendation by several States, in the framework of the universal periodic review procedure, to ratify the second Optional Protocol to the Covenant, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty, as well as recommendations to finalize and adopt the bill on the protection of human rights defenders, the draft Persons and Family Code and the draft Child Protection Code.

Mr. Ndiaye said that he encouraged the State Party to make progress in the area of transitional justice. The Government would do well to consider the experiences of other countries in the region, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where commissions had been established at the provincial level to address transitional justice issues.

He would like to know whether foreign nationals or refugees could be expelled from the country on national security or public order grounds. In that regard, it would be interesting to hear about safeguards to ensure that expulsion, extradition and removal procedures did not violate the principle of non-refoulement. It would also be useful to learn whether the Subcommittee of Appeals of the National Commission for the Reintegration of Refugees and Stateless Persons was operational and, if so, to hear about its membership and functioning.

Finally, he would be grateful for information on the State Party’s programme to provide access to justice and support for women and girls who fell victim to sexual violence, especially in refugee and displaced persons’ camps, including in terms of the remedies available to them.

A representative of Chad said that the main aim of the Chad Connection 2030 plan was to develop the country’s economy. Justice played an important role in development, as a sound commercial legal system encouraged foreign investors to come to the country. For that reason, a large part of the national development plan was devoted to strengthening justice, including through the training of judicial personnel and the digitalization of judicial procedures to make them more transparent and efficient.

A representative of Chad said that Koro Toro Prison was located in the middle of the desert, far from the country’s main population centres. Criminals who had harmed society by committing serious offences, such as robbery and criminal association, were sent there to serve their sentences. Given its desert location, the structure was constantly threatened by sand. The Government had set aside funding in the 2024 budget for minor renovations; however, the 2025 budget had not been executed and had been carried forward until 2026. In order to make the prison viable and improve living conditions, it was necessary to remove built-up sand and add new cells. To protect the prisoners’ health, the Government had constructed a small health centre in the nearby town of Kouba Olanga so that health workers could reach the prison quickly if prisoners fell ill. Following a recent outbreak of illness, sick prisoners had been taken to N’Djamena for treatment.

A representative of Chad said that, following the events of 20 October 2022, the amnesty law of 2023 had been adopted as part of a package of measures to calm social and political tensions and promote national reconciliation. The then transitional Government had entered into negotiations with the leaders of the insurrection in order to involve them in the peaceful transition. An agreement in principle had been signed at Kinshasa under the auspices of the President of the Democratic Republic of Congo. That agreement provided for a comprehensive approach to easing political tensions and consolidating the transition process, while respecting the international obligations of Chad, including under the Covenant. The amnesty law had been adopted, with the agreement of all parties, in that context.

A representative of Chad said that the draft Persons and Family Code remained under review by all stakeholders, including the country’s religious leaders, who had recently contributed observations. The Government aimed to adopt a code with the broadest possible consensus so that it would not meet with opposition.

In the context of women’s sexual and reproductive health, the delegation wished to reassure the Committee that perpetrators of harmful practices against women did not go unpunished. Under the Sahel Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend initiative, a mapping exercise had been conducted on violence against women in the country. The courts were alert to gender-based violence and violations including rape, early marriage and other harmful practices. Some data on judicial decisions and punishments imposed on perpetrators had been collected, which could be shared with the Committee.

A representative of Chad said that the authorities had begun the process of ratifying the Second Optional Protocol, and the ratification document had been drafted. The preliminary bill on the protection of human rights defenders had been drafted, technically approved and transmitted to the Secretariat General of the Government. The progress made by Chad in implementing recommendations received under the universal periodic review procedure would be reflected in the mid-term report due to be transmitted in late 2026. One recommendation that had been implemented related to the establishment, by order of the Prime Minister of 2 June 2022, of a mechanism for implementing the observations and recommendations received from the human rights treaty bodies.

In order to realize its human rights vision, the Government had decided to adopt a national human rights policy with a three-year time frame, taking into account all other strategies, policies and programmes and the national development plan. The policy had been formulated in an inclusive manner by a three-person committee composed of representatives of the Government, the National Human Rights Commission and civil society.

Limited progress had been made in the area of transitional justice. With the support of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights had drafted a national reconciliation and peacebuilding strategy, which was currently awaiting political approval and publication. The strategy envisaged the establishment of a truth, forgiveness, reparation and reconciliation commission.

A representative of Chad said that, during the previous cycle of the universal periodic review procedure, Chad had accepted the vast majority of the recommendations it had received. The Government had demonstrated its willingness to interact regularly and transparently with all human rights mechanisms, including treaty bodies and special procedures. The mid-term report presented an opportunity to evaluate progress and look ahead to the next cycle.

A representative of Chad said that remedies were available to women and girls who were subjected to violence in refugee camps. The Bar Association, working with international organizations in the framework of the Chad Justice Support Project, assigned lawyers to provide legal assistance to vulnerable persons, including victims of violence who could not afford to hire a lawyer. The Government also relied on the support of NGOs and women’s rights organizations, which provided legal assistance to vulnerable women and women of limited means. The Government thus ensured that all women in Chad, whether they lived in towns, the countryside or refugee camps, regardless of their means, could benefit from the assistance of a lawyer when necessary.

A representative of Chad said that the armed forces, supported by international partners, had established disarmament frameworks in different parts of the country and at its borders. As part of their sovereign mission, the armed forces regularly conducted disarmament activities, including systematic searches for weapons. The army did not use child soldiers. In the past, there had been cases of children joining rebels and other armed groups. Partners such as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Development Programme provided periodic refresher training for the defence and security forces.

A representative of Chad said that the National Commission for the Reintegration of Refugees and Stateless Persons carried out activities in the framework of the Asylum Act and its implementing decree of 2023. The task of the reactivated Subcommittee on Appeals was to consider appeals lodged by asylum-seekers whose applications had been rejected by the Subcommittee on Eligibility; it followed a procedure that was equitable and in conformity with the principle of non-refoulement as enshrined in the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. The Commission granted asylum-seekers permission to remain in Chad pending the consideration of their appeal.

A representative of Chad said that the delegation’s presence before the Committee reflected the Government’s willingness to consolidate the rule of law and foster a culture of human rights in the country. The constructive dialogue with the Committee would guide the Government as it sought to strengthen its policies in the area of human rights. Despite persistent challenges linked to the security situation and economic constraints, Chad would continue to pursue the reforms on which it had embarked in order to strengthen its democratic institutions.

While the Government was open to the Committee’s recommendations, the success of its efforts would require increased support from the international community. It therefore called for technical, institutional and financial support to be strengthened with a view to consolidating progress. The Government remained convinced that cooperation, constructive dialogue and international solidarity were the most important means of ensuring the effective enjoyment of human rights for all.

The meeting rose at 1.05 p.m.