Human Rights Council

Twenty-seventh session

Agenda item 10

Technical assistance and capacity-building

Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council

27/28Technical assistance and capacity-building in the field of human rights in the Central African Republic

The Human Rights Counc il,

Guided by the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations,

Guided also by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

Recalling other relevant international human rights instruments,

Recalling also General Assembly resolution 60/251 of 15 March 2006 and Human Rights Council resolutions 5/1 and 5/2 of 18 June 2007, 23/18 of 13 June 2013, 24/34 of 27 September 2013 and S-20/1 of 20 January 2014,

Recalling further Security Council resolutions 2088 (2013) of 24 January 2013, 2121 (2013) of 10 October 2013, 2127 (2013) of 5 December 2013, 2134 (2014) of 28 January 2014 and 2149 (2014) of 10 April 2014,

Bearing in mind the situation existing in the Central African Republic since 24 March 2013,

Reaffirming that all States are under an obligation to promote and to protect the human rights and fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the international covenants on human rights and other relevant international human rights instruments to which they are parties,

Bearing in mind the Bamako Declaration, adopted on 3 November 2000 by the French-speaking States and Governments at the International Symposium on the Practices of Democracy, Rights and Freedoms in the French-speaking Community, which condemns all coups d’état and any seizure of power through violence, arms or other illegal means,

Bearing in mind also the final communiqué of the special summit meeting of the Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of Central African States held in N’Djamena on 21 December 2012, the political agreement signed in Libreville on 11 January 2013 and the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement signed in Brazzaville on 23 July 2014,

Reaffirming its support for the efforts undertaken by States members of the Economic Community of Central African States, in particular those of the chairperson of the Community’s Follow-up Committee on the Situation in the Central African Republic,

Reaffirming also its commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Central African Republic,

Concerned about the political and security situation in the Central African Republic, the dire humanitarian situation that continues to prevail, and especially the plight of internally displaced persons and refugees, and the risk of confrontation between communities and armed religious groups,

Deeply concerned about the serious human rights violations and abuses and acts of violence perpetrated against the civilian population, including summary executions, rape and other forms of sexual abuse, torture, looting, illegal destruction of property and other serious violations of international human rights law,

Taking note of the mobilization of the international community to provide humanitarian assistance to the Central African population affected by the crisis through a high-level meeting on humanitarian action in the Central African Republic, held in Brussels on 20 January 2014, and the donors’ conference held in Addis Ababa on 1 February 2014,

Welcoming the efforts of the International Support Mission to the Central African Republic, the European Union mission to the Central African Republic, the Operation Sangaris conducted by France and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic to protect civilians and disarm militias,

Taking note of the commitment made by the authorities of the Central African Republic to restore the rule of law, to put an end to impunity and to bring to justice the perpetrators of crimes referred to in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, to which the Central African Republic is a party, and of the decision taken by the Prosecutor of the Court on 7 February 2014 to conduct a preliminary review of the situation in the Central African Republic,

Taking note also of the work of the international commission of inquiry in investigating reports of violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in the Central African Republic by all parties since 1 January 2013,

1.Strongly condemns the continued and widespread human rights violations and abuses committed by all actors, and emphasizes that the perpetrators of such violations and abuses must be held accountable and brought to justice;

2.Demands an immediate halt to all human rights violations and abuses and unlawful acts of violence by all parties and the strict observance of all human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as the restoration of the rule of law in the country and, in this regard, reminds all parties of their responsibilities under international human rights law;

3.Takes note with satisfaction of the preliminary report of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Central African Republic and the recommendations contained therein;

4.Urges all parties in the Central African Republic to protect all civilians, in particular women and children, from sexual and gender-based violence;

5.Calls upon the authorities of the Central African Republic to ensure respect for the rights and fundamental freedoms of the entire population and to take all necessary steps to put an end to the impunity of the perpetrators of crimes, acts of violence and all other human rights violations by, inter alia, strengthening the judiciary and national accountability mechanisms;

6.Takes note of the decision of the Central African authorities to request the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to open an investigation into serious and systematic human rights violations committed in the Central African Republic and supports the work of the international commission of inquiry in investigating reports of violations by all parties of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in the Central African Republic;

7.Supports the efforts of the Mediator of the Economic Community of Central African States and those of the African Union and all other partners of the Central African Republic to resolve the crisis and to bring about a definitive return to constitutional order, peace and security in accordance with the political agreement signed in Libreville on 11 January 2013, the N’Djamena Declaration of 18 April 2013 and the Constitutional Charter for the Transition of 18 July 2013;

8.Welcomes the appointment of a new Government to lead the political transition in the Central African Republic, and calls upon it to expedite efforts to promote national reconciliation through an inclusive process, involving women in the dialogue with all parties, and to hold free, fair, open and transparent elections within a reasonable period of time;

9.Applauds the improvement in the security situation in the Central African Republic, and calls upon all parties to respect the terms of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement of 23 July 2014 as an important step towards resolving the crisis;

10.Invites the Central African authorities to take all necessary steps to consolidate the security situation in the country through the introduction of a disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme;

11.Remains gravely concerned by the conditions in which displaced persons and refugees are living, and encourages the international community to support the national authorities and host countries in their efforts to provide appropriate protection and assistance to victims of violence, in particular women, children and persons with disabilities;

12.Invites all stakeholders and the international community to stand ready to respond to the emergencies and priorities identified by the Central African Republic, including through the provision of financial and technical assistance and treatment for psychotraumatic disorders suffered by persons as a result of the crisis;

13.Calls upon all parties to facilitate victims’ access to humanitarian assistance and humanitarian actors’ access to all parts of the country’s territory by ensuring that roadways are secure;

14.Encourages the States Members of the United Nations, within the framework of international cooperation activities, the relevant United Nations agencies, international financial institutions and all other relevant international organizations, as well as donors, to provide the Central African Republic with technical and capacity-building assistance with a view to promoting respect for human rights and to reforming the judicial and security sectors;

15.Decides to issue a one-year extension of the mandate of the Independent Expert to monitor, verify and report on the situation of human rights in the Central African Republic with a view to making recommendations concerning technical assistance and capacity-building in the field of human rights;

16.Calls upon all parties to cooperate fully with the Independent Expert in carrying out her mandate;

17.Requests the Independent Expert to work closely with all entities of the United Nations, the African Union and the Economic Community of Central African States and with all other international organizations concerned, with Central African civil society and with all relevant human rights mechanisms;

18.Also requests the Independent Expert to provide an oral update on her report on technical assistance and capacity-building in the field of human rights in the Central African Republic at its twenty-eighth session and to submit a written report to the Council at its thirtieth session;

19.Decides to hold an interactive dialogue at its twenty-ninth session, in the presence of the Independent Expert and other relevant stakeholders, to assess developments in the human rights situation on the ground, with a particular focus on the fight against impunity;

20.Requests the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to continue to provide the Independent Expert with all the financial and human resources that she needs in order for her to carry out her mandate fully;

21.Decides to remain seized of this matter.

40th meeting

26 September 2014

[Adopted without a vote.]