Human Rights Committee

143rd session

Summary record of the 4189th meeting

Held at the Palais Wilson, Geneva, on Wednesday, 5 March 2025, at 3 p.m.

Chair:Mr. Soh

Contents

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

S econd periodic report of Burkina Faso

The meeting was called to order at 3.05 p.m.

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

Second periodic report of Burkina Faso (CCPR/C/BFA/2; CCPR/C/BFA/QPR/2)

At the invitation of the Chair, the delegation of Burkina Faso joined the meeting.

A representative of Burkina Faso said that her Government’s high-level delegation would demonstrate its strong commitment to the human rights principles enshrined in the Covenant by addressing key issues relating to implementation and highlighting the efforts made in that regard, including strengthening of the legal and institutional framework.

A representative of Burkina Faso said that, despite the difficult security situation and numerous terrorist attacks, his Government had instituted a number of legislative and institutional reforms to ensure that citizens could enjoy their rights. The periodic report had been prepared through an inclusive and participatory process involving government departments, public institutions and civil society actors. During the reporting period, terrorist attacks, a humanitarian crisis and a global pandemic had greatly affected the protection of human rights, including implementation of the Committee’s recommendations. Nonetheless, his Government had made significant progress by completing activities set out in the 2017–2019 road map and the 2019–2022 action plan on the implementation of recommendations made by human rights treaty bodies. A new action plan for the period 2024–2028 had been drawn up.

Since the submission of the report, amendments to the Constitution and new laws on the High Council for Communication, the entry and stay of foreign nationals, community service and the establishment of a volunteer defence force had updated the legislative framework for the protection of human rights. The budget and staffing of the National Human Rights Commission had been enhanced and the national preventive mechanism against torture had begun operating. The Government had established a framework for consultation, monitoring and early warning to address human rights allegations, which allowed for cooperation with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and other United Nations agencies, and an interministerial working group responsible for monitoring human rights allegations made in the context of counter-terrorism efforts. Judicial units specializing in economic and financial crime, organized crime and terrorist offences had begun their work.

A law on the protection of human rights defenders had been adopted, with a view to creating a legal and social environment conducive to their activities. Over 500 human rights defenders working in areas affected by the security crisis had been trained between 2020 and 2022. A plan had been implemented to build the capacity of the volunteer defence force to uphold human rights during their counter-terrorist operations, under which hundreds of trainers and over 30,000 members of the Force had been trained. In 2023, four court sessions had been held to process the backlog of terrorism cases, resulting in hundreds of convictions and acquittals. Similar operations would continue to be conducted.

Major legislative, institutional and operational reforms had resulted in the reorganization of the armed forces to better combat terrorism. In April 2023, the Government had declared a general mobilization and an alert for a period of 12 months, which had subsequently been extended. In line with article 4 (1) of the Covenant, the Government had notified the Secretary-General of the declaration.

The Government had carried out reforms to improve the credibility of the justice system and enhance access to justice. The trial of the murderers of former President Thomas Sankara had resulted in 14 convictions and compensation for the victims’ families. In compliance with a judgment handed down by the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights on 5 June 2015, the Government had paid compensation to the beneficiaries of Norbert Zongo, an investigative journalist killed in 1998. New legislation on community service and proposed amendments to the Code of Criminal Procedure, including the introduction of a criminal mediation procedure, would help to reduce prison overcrowding.

A new strategy and action plan to combat money-laundering and funding for terrorism had been put in place. The reinforcement of institutions such as the State Oversight and Anti‑Corruption Authority, which had referred well over 100 cases to the prosecution service, as well as general inspectorates of public services and anti-corruption committees in government departments, had enhanced the monitoring of public authorities.

A revised version of the Persons and Family Code, with amendments that would harmonize the minimum age at marriage for men and women, make the Code applicable to all forms of marital union and combat practices that were harmful to women and girls, had been submitted to the Transitional Legislative Assembly. Although the Government valued press freedom, freedom of assembly and the right to information, it had taken exceptional measures under article 4 (1) of the Covenant owing to the public emergency threatening the life of the nation. It had helped journalists and media outlets to adapt to the security situation by organizing training on crisis-sensitive journalism.

The security and humanitarian challenges faced by Burkina Faso were a source of great concern to the Government as it sought to ensure the realization of human rights. On behalf of the country’s citizens, who were fighting bravely to eradicate terrorism, his delegation called for greater solidarity and support from the international community.

Mr. El Haiba said that he would like to know what measures had been taken to create synergy in the legislative and institutional framework and improve coordination among stakeholders for more effective fulfilment of human rights commitments. He would like to understand the scope and relevance of the constitutional provisions on the direct applicability of international law, including the Covenant. It would be useful to have specific examples of cases in which the Covenant had been interpreted by the national courts. He wondered what laws had been amended to align them with the Covenant, taking into account the Committee’s previous concluding observations. He wished to know what efforts had been made to ensure that victims of human rights violations could invoke the Covenant. He would like more information on the draft constitution of 2017, including clarification as to whether it affected the incorporation of the Covenant into national law and the possibility of invoking the Covenant in court. He would like more information about the measures taken to ensure full compliance with the Committee’s Views concerning communication No. 1159/2003 (Sankara et al. v. Burkina Faso).

He would like to know why the State Party had decided to assign the mandate of national preventive mechanism to the National Human Rights Commission, whether the mechanism was compliant with the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and what actions it had taken since its establishment. He wished to receive data, disaggregated by sex, region, age and social status, on complaints received by the Commission and the way in which those complaints had been handled. It would be helpful to know more about the national mechanism for human rights defenders established in 2020, especially its monitoring of the application of Act No. 039-2017/AN of 27 June 2017 on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders in Burkina Faso. Lastly, he would like to know what measures had been taken to allow the Commission to regain accreditation from the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions.

Ms. Tigroudja said that she would appreciate more information on the judicial or administrative measures taken to ensure accountability for human rights violations found by the Committee or the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights and to allow the victims’ families to obtain comprehensive reparation. She wondered why the High Council for Reconciliation and National Unity had been abolished, whether all its investigations had been closed and whether any had led to criminal sanctions.

In the context of a resurgence of human rights violations committed by State and non‑State actors, she wondered what measures had been taken to inform all such actors of human rights law and international humanitarian law. She would like to know more about the training of the volunteer defence force and the early warning system for human rights violations. She would appreciate a response to reports that members of special forces enjoyed absolute immunity in the exercise of their functions, including for serious human rights violations. She wondered whether the State Party was developing a transitional justice model that would ensure justice, access to truth and redress and the preservation of memory. She would like to know what measures were being taken or envisaged to provide civic and human rights education.

She would like the delegation to respond to reports that the legal framework governing the state of emergency was not compliant with the principles of necessity, proportionality, non-discrimination and the upholding of non-derogable rights, set out in the Committee’s general comment No. 29 (2001). She would also like the delegation to comment on concerns that State authorities had committed extrajudicial killings, enforced disappearance, torture and other violations against civilians and suspected terrorists and that emergency measures were being used to silence journalists, human rights defenders and judges who defied the Government. She would like to know what judicial and human rights guarantees existed in the context of the security crisis, how the derogations provided for in domestic law could be reconciled with article 4 of the Covenant, whether those derogations were subject to judicial review and when the state of emergency would be lifted.

She wondered whether any policies were in place to educate adults and children about consent and relationships between spouses, raise awareness of marital rape and combat harmful patriarchal stereotypes. She would welcome further information on the State Party’s policy regarding shelters for victims of domestic violence, including the number of shelters, their capacity and their location. She would also be grateful for data on the number of cases of violence against women that had been reported, investigated and prosecuted.

Ms. Bassim said that she wished to obtain further information on the steps taken to combat corruption and illicit flows, including data on investigations, prosecutions and their outcomes, and on the activities of the State Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority. It would be interesting to know what efforts were being made to raise awareness among public officials of the cost of corruption and to promote the strict application of the law among justice sector actors.

She wondered whether the State Party intended to increase the gender quota for electoral lists to 50 per cent and reject all lists that did not comply with the quota; whether steps had been taken to increase the representation of women in public affairs and decision‑making positions; and whether measures had been adopted to ensure the effective implementation of legal provisions on gender equality in matters of inheritance and access to land.

She would be grateful for further details on the measures taken to harmonize the minimum age at marriage for men and women, combat polygamy, overcome the resistance of religious and traditional leaders and collaborate with civil society, opinion leaders and the media on such issues. She would also like to know what progress had been made in eliminating female genital mutilation and combating the stigmatization, social exclusion and ill-treatment of women accused of witchcraft.

She wished to know what measures had been implemented to strengthen the presence of the defence and security forces throughout the country and to discourage self-defence militias from engaging in law enforcement. She wondered what steps were being taken to investigate all allegations of human rights violations involving self-defence militias, prosecute and punish perpetrators and provide reparation to victims.

Ms. Abdo Rocholl said that she would like to know whether the State Party planned to establish a comprehensive regulatory framework that established penalties for direct and indirect discrimination in the public and private spheres, and to introduce legislative amendments that would prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity and disability. She wondered what mechanisms had been introduced to ensure access to justice, legal assistance and remedies for victims of discrimination and how the State Party monitored the effectiveness of legal provisions in that regard.

She would like to know what measures had been adopted to prevent and punish hate speech and discriminatory discourse in the media and online, protect persons with albinism or HIV/AIDS from stigmatization and violence, and combat the structural discrimination that affected access to education, employment and social services for ethnic and religious minorities and other vulnerable groups. She also wished to know how the State Party intended to ensure that the revision of the Persons and Family Code did not result in the criminalization of same-sex relationships and further persecution of LGBTIQ+ persons.

The Chair said that he would welcome data on the average time that it took to obtain abortion authorization, as well as disaggregated data on unsafe abortions and prosecutions related to abortion. He wondered what efforts would be made to remove judicial and administrative barriers to abortion in cases of rape and incest and to reduce the stigma surrounding abortion. He wondered how the State Party ensured the continuous availability and accessibility of sexual and reproductive health services nationwide, including in remote communities and among internally displaced persons.

He would be grateful if the State Party could clarify its position on reinstating the death penalty and provide an update on its commitment to ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the Covenant, aiming at the abolition of the death penalty, including information on any remaining obstacles and the timeline for ratification.

The meeting was suspended at 4.05 p.m. and resumed at 4.30 p.m.

A representative of Burkina Faso said that his delegation disagreed with the Committee’s use of certain terms, such as “non-State armed groups”, “self-defence militias”, “enforced disappearance” and “kidnappings”. The expression “non-State armed groups” was not appropriate as the country was not dealing with organized groups but rather terrorists committing criminal offences. The use of the term implied some sort of comparison between those criminals and State forces. Likewise, there were no militias, only members of the volunteer defence force, who were directed and coordinated by the defence and security forces.

Furthermore, the term “enforced disappearance” implied the involvement of a State agent in a person’s disappearance, but that kind of situation did not arise in Burkina Faso. Terrorists were often difficult to identify and typically did not inform their families of their involvement in terrorist activities. Consequently, when such individuals were neutralized, their families would mistakenly report them as disappeared. While it was sometimes necessary to temporarily withhold information about individuals being investigated for jeopardizing State security, secret detentions did not occur, and all individuals were handed over to the regular legal system after an initial investigation by the intelligence services.

Members of the defence and security forces who committed human rights violations did not enjoy impunity. The death penalty had been abolished for ordinary offences but still applied to at least 10 offences under the Code of Military Justice. The State might consider reinstating the death penalty for terrorist offences as a tool for combating terrorism. The 2017 draft constitution was not currently on the agenda as efforts were focused on restoring security throughout the country.

A representative of Burkina Faso said that victims of human rights violations or their beneficiaries could bring their cases directly before the competent courts and authorities. The mandate of the National Human Rights Commission had been broadened by Act No. 001-2016, which also guaranteed the Commission’s administrative and financial autonomy. A decree on the organization and functioning of the Commission had been adopted in 2017. Since 2022, the Commission had had its own budget allocation, which had amounted to over 640 million CFA francs (CFAF) in 2023. Furthermore, the number of employees had risen from 14 in 2018 to 59 in 2023. The Commission was compliant with the Paris Principles, and a study of its capacities had been conducted in 2023 with a view to regaining accreditation from the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions.

The national preventive mechanism had delivered capacity-building workshops to more than 100 persons and information sessions to more than 1,000. It had also conducted 22 monitoring visits to places of deprivation of liberty. It had commemorated the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture by holding events in schools. Between 2021 and 2024, the National Human Rights Commission had received around 260 complaints relating to a range of human rights violations. There were no ethnic minorities in Burkina Faso, and all citizens were treated equally before the law. The Government had sought to tackle hate speech via awareness-raising through social media.

A representative of Burkina Faso said that in 2023 the Government had sent a letter to the Secretary-General informing him that a state of emergency had been declared and noting the non-derogable rights enshrined in the Covenant.

International instruments could be invoked before the courts immediately upon ratification. The Covenant had been disseminated through awareness-raising sessions for judges, prosecutors, lawyers and law enforcement officials. More than 100 professionals had received such training in 2023.

The exhumed remains of President Thomas Sankara and the 12 persons who had died with him had been given an official burial, a memorial to them had been erected and they had been declared national heroes. Although the Norbert Zongo case remained under investigation, the Government had already provided compensation to the victims’ beneficiaries.

A representative of Burkina Faso said that the Constitution prohibited all forms of discrimination and granted all persons living in Burkina Faso equal protection under the law. Provisions prohibiting discrimination could also be found in the Criminal Code, the Labour Code, the Persons and Family Code and legislation on the print media and on persons with disabilities. Those provisions were applied strictly by the courts. Act No. 003-2020/AN of 22 January 2020, which established the gender quota for electoral lists, had not been assessed and found to be inadequate.

A representative of Burkina Faso said that women held various positions in public life, including almost 17 per cent of seats in the Transitional Legislative Assembly and more than 20 per cent of government posts. They accounted for 33 per cent of ambassadors and 27 per cent of regional governors. Approximately one third of civil servants were women.

Three shelters – in Ouagadougou, Ouahigouya and Kaya – provided holistic care to women victims of violence, in addition to the assistance provided at healthcare centres and other facilities. Awareness-raising campaigns to combat accusations of witchcraft were undertaken regularly, and victims benefited from family and community mediation, and support during the process of being reintegrated into their families.

Humanitarian assistance, which was provided in an inclusive manner, involved the biometric registration of recipients and the provision of food, shelter and psychosocial support. A humanitarian response plan was adopted each year, and steps were being taken to record all internally displaced persons and host communities.

The Government’s extensive work to eradicate female genital mutilation included a national strategy and related plan of action. Between 2018 and 2020, around 250 persons had been arrested in connection with that offence; of those, 126 had been convicted.

Projects had taken place at the national level to promote the land access rights of vulnerable persons, particularly women, including the mass issuance of land title certificates to those groups, free of charge. Those measures had led to a significant increase in women’s inheritance of agricultural land.

Women and girls had access to abortion if a doctor confirmed that their health was at risk or that the fetus was likely to be born with a serious and incurable condition. Abortion was also permitted in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy in cases of rape or incest. Sexual and reproductive health information and services were accessible to all persons throughout the country, and a national plan on family planning was being implemented. The High Council for Reconciliation and National Unity had been disbanded and its mandate transferred to a technical secretariat for the promotion of peace and harmony.

A representative of Burkina Faso said that members of the special forces were also members of the military and therefore subject to the obligations applicable to all military officials. Moreover, the regulations on the status of the special forces also imposed obligations on them, including a duty to respect the laws, regulations, conventions, treaties and agreements adopted by Burkina Faso. They could not, therefore, act with impunity and were liable to discharge or prosecution if they failed to fulfil those obligations.

A representative of Burkina Faso said that while the Government did not intend to delegate its security responsibilities, it had called on the population to contribute to the fight against terrorism, including by giving relevant information to the defence and security forces. Those forces had recently undergone a restructuring, with the creation of new units. Their work had also been rendered more effective by a decree that granted jurisdiction over urban areas to the police and jurisdiction over rural areas to the gendarmerie. There were no militias in Burkina Faso, only local security initiatives. Any well-founded allegations against members of those initiatives were investigated. Between 2016 and 2024, more than 285 such persons had been prosecuted, with sentences ranging from 3 months’ to 7 years’ imprisonment and fines of up to CFAF 1 million.

Corruption and illicit flows were tackled by the State Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority, which had referred 25 cases to the public prosecution service in 2023, 11 of which had been tried, and 81 cases in 2024, all of which remained pending. Those efforts were enhanced by the anti-corruption units established in various ministries. Moreover, the Office of the President could receive and address complaints of corruption, and a law had been adopted on money-laundering, the financing of terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

A representative of Burkina Faso said that a commission had recently been established to address dysfunction in the public administration, thereby strengthening anti‑corruption measures. The state of emergency, which had applied to 22 of the country’s 45 provinces, had been lifted in October 2023.

A representative of Burkina Faso said that the lifting of the state of emergency demonstrated the ongoing improvement in the security situation throughout the country.

A representative of Burkina Faso said that Act No. 039-2017/AN of 27 June 2017 on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders in Burkina Faso granted all persons the right, individually or in association with others, to promote and defend human rights and fundamental freedoms and required the State to ensure the security of the person and property of human rights defenders and their families, as well as witnesses. While the Government attached great importance to freedom of opinion and of the press, journalists must undertake their work ethically. The Government had, on occasion, brought certain press organizations to task in the best interests of the nation.

A representative of Burkina Faso said that persons with albinism received basic social security on the same footing as persons with disabilities. Disability cards were issued to them so that they had access to the necessary services, particularly in the areas of health and education.

A representative of Burkina Faso said that the Government was committed to eradicating female genital mutilation through action at the national level, for example through awareness-raising campaigns, and at the international level, as illustrated by its sponsorship of Human Rights Council resolutions on the subject.

A representative of Burkina Faso said that it was possible that terrorist organizations had provided false information to the Committee with the intention of hindering the efforts of the defence and security forces.

Mr. El Haiba said that he would like to know why the national preventive mechanism had been placed under the aegis of the National Human Rights Commission; what its structure was, including whether it comprised members from outside the Commission; how independent it was; and what financial and logistical resources had been granted to it. It would also be useful to know whether civil society had been consulted prior to its creation.

He would like to know more about the place of the Covenant in the domestic legal order. He was curious to know whether the National Human Rights Commission had a role to play in ensuring the compatibility of legislation with the Covenant.

He would also like to know whether consultations involving human rights defenders were held during the drafting of reports to treaty bodies and whether there was a specific body responsible for drafting those reports. How did the State Party monitor the follow-up to recommendations made by treaty bodies and in the context of the universal periodic review?

Ms. Bassim said that the State Party’s leadership in combating female genital mutilation at the international level was well known and to be highly commended. What was now needed was not more legislation or resolutions but the implementation of existing provisions, and not only in Burkina Faso. She wished to know what action the State Party intended to take in that regard during the upcoming session of the Human Rights Council.

The issue of self-defence militias was not one of terminology. It was, of course, essential to obtain the commitment and cooperation of all parties concerned in order to combat terrorism. However, it was vital to ensure that forces that were not formally part of the army or the police did not abuse the powers conferred upon them.

Ms. Abdo Rocholl said that it was unclear whether the State Party was considering explicitly penalizing direct and indirect discrimination in the private and public spheres. A general framework alone was not sufficient to address the specific needs of vulnerable groups. In that connection, it would be helpful to receive disaggregated statistics for the previous five years, showing how many complaints of discrimination had been dealt with, what types of discrimination they had covered and how many convictions had been obtained.

She would appreciate greater clarity on the question of consensual same-sex relations. The Committee had been informed that the draft amendments to the Persons and Family Code included provisions to criminalize such relations, while the draft Civil Code currently under discussion contained an ambiguous definition of such relations.

Ms. Tigroudja said that it would be more helpful to the Committee if the delegation, rather than rejecting information brought to its attention and stating that a given situation did not exist, could instead demonstrate in what way the information was incorrect or unsubstantiated.

The delegation had mentioned a letter sent to the Secretary-General notifying him of a state of emergency in 2023. However, the only notification of a state of emergency within the meaning of article 4 of the Covenant that had been registered by the Secretary-General was one dated 2019. At the same time, the delegation had assured the Committee that the state of emergency had come to an end in October 2023. She would appreciate further clarification. Furthermore, it appeared that, notwithstanding the lifting of the state of emergency, the framework of exemptions and special powers remained in effect in certain respects, for example in the area of deprivation of liberty. She would welcome the delegation’s comments on the matter.

The Chair, recalling that the delegation had mentioned the possibility of reintroducing the death penalty for terrorism-related crimes, said that he would like to know how such a measure could be reconciled with the State Party’s obligations under the Covenant.

A representative of Burkina Faso said that, in order to comment constructively on the information received by the Committee on so-called self-defence militias, his delegation would need to know more about the groups described in that information. In the meantime, he was unable to make any comment, since such militias did not, in fact, exist.

The volunteer defence force, on the other hand, was regulated by a legal and constitutional framework and had been formed to help defend the country from terrorism. Unlike militias, which were usually privately organized groupings, volunteers were officially recruited under the legislation on national security and on general mobilization. They were then trained by the defence and security forces and subsequently acted only under the auspices of those forces.

The draft Persons and Family Code was still under discussion. However, the question of same-sex relations was a matter of sovereign choice by the individual State, a choice he hoped the Committee would be able to respect.

The death penalty was being considered as a possible weapon in the fight against terrorism. Burkina Faso was facing an existential challenge and needed to deploy all the means at its disposal in order to survive. In places that terrorists occupied, there could be no discussion of the right to education or health or even life. Only by restoring calm and security and ensuring the survival of the State itself would it be possible to guarantee the rights under the Covenant. The death penalty had been abolished for ordinary crimes in 2018. The situation was now very different: reinstating the death penalty for terrorist offences would help to safeguard the State and ultimately enable it to meet its obligations under international law.

A representative of Burkina Faso said that, under the Constitution, treaties ratified by Burkina Faso formed a part of the domestic legal order. The Constitutional Council had cited the Covenant in two cases, one concerning the law regulating the High Court of Justice, the other concerning the law relating to the Electoral Code.

When the national preventive mechanism had originally been established, in 2014, a lack of resources had prevented it from functioning. The situation had been reviewed in 2021 and it had been decided to incorporate the mechanism into the National Human Rights Commission. The mechanism nevertheless produced its own independent reports, as did the Commission. The mechanism duly discharged its monitoring tasks and had to date inspected 22 places of deprivation of liberty, 4 mental health institutions and numerous police custody facilities.

Fifteen workshops had been held to present the national preventive mechanism to groups around the country, and they had attracted more than 1,000 participants. In addition, awareness-raising activities were being organized to inform civil society organizations about the mechanism. The National Human Rights Commission also comprised civil society actors, who were thus fully engaged in its work.

In terms of accreditation, the two structures were quite separate. The Commission would be supported by the relevant State bodies in its efforts to regain accreditation from the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions.

A representative of Burkina Faso said that, with regard to the state of emergency, steps would be taken to verify the notifications sent to the Secretary-General. The state of emergency was no longer in force. However, after consultation with the Constitutional Council, and in order to defend the country’s territorial integrity, ensure the security of the population and protect people and property from terrorist threats and actions, the Government had ordered a general mobilization and alert for a 12-month period, in accordance with the legislation on national defence. Under that legislation, certain rights and individual and collective freedoms could be restricted and the Government was empowered, for example, to requisition persons, goods and services, recruit individuals or groups for employment or defence and redistribute resources.

A representative of Burkina Faso said that a plan of action on human rights education and the promotion of civic education was being implemented. As to the place of the Covenant in the domestic legal order, a study into the alignment of national law with all international human rights instruments had been carried out in 2020; its conclusions were now being implemented. Treaty body reports and follow-up to recommendations were the responsibility of a committee set up in 2012, which brought together representatives of various ministries, institutions and civil society organizations. The report under discussion had been drafted by that committee.

A representative of Burkina Faso said that Burkina Faso would continue its leadership in the prevention of female genital mutilation. It was continually seeking new ways to promote more effective action on the ground.

A representative of Burkina Faso said that, under legislation passed in 2010 to protect persons with disabilities, their access to justice and basic social services such as health, education and transport was guaranteed. Abortion presented no problems provided it took place within the framework of the law. Lastly, marital rape was covered by the Criminal Code of 2019: a fine of up to CFAF 600,000 could be imposed in cases of repeated rape of an intimate partner or where the partner was physically incapacitated. The Government organized awareness-raising sessions in an effort to combat such practices.

The meeting rose at 6 p.m.