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Summary: A compilation of extracts featuring child-rights issues from the reports submitted to the first Universal Periodic Review. There are extracts from the 'National Report', the 'Compilation of UN Information' and the 'Summary of Stakeholder's Information'. Also included is the final report and the list of accepted and rejected recommendations. Chad - 5th Session - 2009 Summary of Stakeholder information Accepted and rejected recommendations 6. According to the April 1993 population and housing census, the Chadian population was estimated at 7,000,000, 52 per cent of whom were female. The population was unevenly distributed. The average population density was 4.1 inhabitants per km2, but it varied from region to region. In Borkou-Ennedi-Tibesti (BET), it was 0.1 person per km2, while in Logone occidental it was 52.4 people per km2. Per capita gross domestic product (GDP) was estimated at US$ 234. The primary school enrolment rate for girls was 32 per cent. The number of children per woman was six, and 21.1 per cent of the population lived in urban areas. 16. These various crises once again led to human rights violations, including abductions, attacks on physical integrity, forced displacement, the recruitment of children in armed conflict and the rape of women. In response, the Government declared a state of emergency to halt the serious undermining of public order resulting from the lack of security which reigned in the six regions affected by the turmoil and in the city of N’Djamena. 19. As a Member State of the United Nations, and further to its international commitments, Chad has ratified several conventions, including: 20. In Africa, Chad is an active participant in the main regional and subregional human rights promotion and protection instruments, including: 25. The Government, in its policy to protect the rights of vulnerable people, has adopted two laws, concerning persons living with HIV/AIDS and disabled persons. Act No. 0019/PR/2007 on combating HIV/AIDS/STI and the protection of the rights of persons living with HIV/AIDS states that “the rights to non-discrimination, equal protection and equality before the law shall be guaranteed for persons living with HIV and for children and orphans made vulnerable owing to AIDS, on an equal footing as for others” (art. 19). Similarly, Act No. 007/PR/2007 on the protection of disabled persons states that “disabled persons shall enjoy the same rights recognized by the Constitution for all Chadian citizens” (art. 4). In respect of education, girls and boys have equal access to schooling. However, there is affirmative action for girls, for whom certain tuition fees have been eliminated. The low proportion of girls as opposed to boys in enrolment is mainly due to sociocultural impediments. 39. The Constitution of 31 March 1996, in articles 20, 32, 35 and 38, reflects the provisions of ILO Conventions relating to forced labour, night work for women and the abolition of child labour. 40. Under article 20 of the Constitution, “no one may be held in slavery or in servitude”. Similarly, article 5 of Act No. 38 of 11 December 1996 establishing the Labour Code stipulates that “forced or compulsory labour is prohibited”. That notwithstanding, there are certain practices in rural and urban areas that are considered as modern slavery owing to the abusive exploitation of workers; these include the use of the children of sedentary populations to tend the herds of nomadic herders (child cowherds), muhajirin (mendicant Koranic students) and domestic workers. 41. Several actions are planned to address this problem, including refusal of admission to Chad, or the cancellation of visas, for persons wanted for crimes relating to trafficking in human beings, and mutual judicial assistance for the extradition of perpetrators. 42. The Government is currently considering, with its development partners and in consultation with local communities, ways and means of eradicating the phenomenon of child cowherds, which has been growing in scale despite the harmful consequences of such activities for the lives and health of the children involved. A comprehensive communication plan on the work of child cowherds has been implemented since 2002 with the support of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), encompassing all those involved. Thanks to the activities carried out under this strategy, Government and religious authorities have joined in the campaign. Some results have been achieved; in particular, in certain areas the phenomenon has been on the wane, and child herders have been recovered and returned to their families. In 2004 and 2005, a total of 264 child herders were recovered and returned to their families. 43. To ensure that such action endures, a network to combat the use of child cowherds was set up in March 2006 with support from UNICEF. This problem is also addressed quite comprehensively by the poverty reduction strategy. 44. The right to life is a principle recognized for all Chadian children. This principle is taken into consideration by Act. No. 7/PR/99 of 6 April 1999 on procedures for the prosecution and judgement of offences committed by minors between 13 and 18 years of age,which protects the dignity and person of such children even when they perpetrate an offence. Under this law it is prohibited to sentence a minor to death, and prison terms must be used only as a last resort. The law provides for alternative measures. Specifically, when a juvenile chamber hears a criminal case, it does not impose a death sentence on a prosecuted minor, but instead substitutes a prison sentence of 5 to 10 years. 45. To afford protection to women and children victims of trafficking in persons, Chad on 7 July 2006 signed a multilateral regional cooperation agreement in Abuja, Nigeria and adopted the regional plan of action to combat human trafficking, in particular women and children. This agreement is aimed at preventing trafficking, prosecuting perpetrators, assisting and protecting victims, ensuring their rehabilitation and social reintegration and coordinating the investigation, arrest and sentencing of traffickers and their accomplices. 46. Officially, the recruitment in the army of children under 18 is prohibited. However, there are children in military camps and in armed groups. Unfortunately, there are no statistics on this problem. Public awareness campaigns have been held by United Nations agencies and international and Chadian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to combat the phenomenon. A children’s parliament has been set up in accordance with United Nations recommendations to provide children with a forum to express their views. The Chadian Government has signed an agreement with UNICEF that makes it possible to reintegrate children released from the army into normal life. Chad has also undertaken to implement the recommendations of the Paris Principles on children associated with armed forces or armed groups. It should also be noted that international humanitarian law is now taught at the gendarmerie and police academies; this too may help to spare children during conflict. 47. The Chadian Government in 2005 drew up and validated a comprehensive development policy for young children, with the objective that by 2015, 100 per cent of children up to the age of 8 should be registered at birth and protected against violence, exploitation and discrimination, and that they should be in good health, with balanced physical, cognitive, socio-affective and psychological development. To this end, a parental education project is being implemented in the framework of the Chad-UNICEF cooperation programme running from 2006 to 2010. 48. To help increase registration on the population register, projects for the modernization and strengthening of the register are currently being implemented with the support of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the European Union and UNICEF. 67. Similarly, several programmes have been set up to ensure women’s and children’s health; among these are the expanded programme on immunization, a health and nutrition programme, a population activities support fund and a national programme for malaria control. 68. Education is a priority in Chad. Article 35, paragraph 1, of the Constitution stipulates that “Every citizen has the right to education”. The State does its best, given its resources, to cover teacher salaries, school construction, continuous training of teachers at the various levels, educational material, equipment and consumables. Under the Constitution, schooling is free and compulsory. Act No. 16/PR/06 of 30 March 2006 on the orientation of the Chadian education system sets out in article 4 that “the right to education and training is recognized for all, without distinction as to age, sex, regional, social or ethnic origin or confession”. Secondary education is available and accessible to all throughout the country. It is provided free of charge, the same as primary schooling. Efforts are now under way to make higher education available to all those who hold secondary diplomas. In addition to the two universities operating in Chad (in N’Djamena and Abéché), several university-level institutes have been set up (in Bongor, Moundou, Bol, Mongo, Abéché, Biltine and Sarh). To combat illiteracy, which is still quite high, the Government issued 72. Article 33 of the Constitution sets out that “Every Chadian has the right to culture. The State has the duty to safeguard andpromote the national values of civil culture.” With the help of its partners, the State has therefore begun a project for the construction of cultural centres in all regions of the country. The State also ensures the promotion and protection of the national cultural heritage and the production of art and culture. There is a Government Ministry specifically responsible for culture, youth and sports, which deals with all such questions . 76. These refugees receive assistance from the Chadian Government, with the support ofUnited Nations agencies and international organizations working for refugees. A memorandum of understanding was signed in 2005 between the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and UNICEF for the tracing of unaccompanied and separated Sudanese children in Chad. In all, 437 separated Sudanese children and 104 unaccompanied Sudanese minors were identified and received care. Such children received the protection and humanitarian assistance called for in the international legal instruments ratified by Chad. 77. From 2004 to 2006, United Nations agencies, in particular UNICEF and UNHCR, working in partnership with NGOs, set up an education system for refugees both in the east and in the south. Some 495 classrooms were built in the eastern part of the country, currently receiving some 75,000 children at the primary and preschool levels. This education system is also of benefit to local children who have been affected by the armed conflicts. 78. Social workers and humanitarian workers have been trained in listening and counselling techniques, in humanitarian law, play activities and the rights of the child in general so that they can assist refugees in overcoming the trauma that they have experienced OHCHR Compilation of UN information 1. In 2009, the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) welcomed the ratification of the Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography and on the involvement of children in armed conflict, in August 2002;8 the ratification of the ILO Conventions No. 182 and No. 138, respectively in November 2000 and March 2005; the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court in November 2006; and the signing of the International Convention for the Protection of all Persons from Enforced Disappearance in February 2007. CRC also recommended that Chad consider signing and ratifying the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol. 2. CRC noted with appreciation the promulgation in 2002 of the law relating to the Promotion of Reproductive Health and, in 2004, of the decree giving effect to the Labour Code regulating child labour. The Committee urged the State to expedite the adoption and entry into force of the draft child protection code and the draft code on the person and the family. 6. CRC recommended establishing as soon as possible an ombudsperson, or a unit within the NHRC, for monitoring the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and to receive and investigate complaints from, or on behalf of, children. 7. In 2008, the ILO Committee of Experts noted that the Government had established the Directorate for Children within the Ministry of Social Action and the Family as the body responsible for the implementation of children’s policies. 8. CRC encouraged Chad to adopt a national plan of action on children taking into account the document “A world fit for children adopted by the General Assembly at its special session on children held in May 2002 and its mid-term review of 2007. 9. The ILO Committee of Experts noted the Government’s Strategy of Education and Training for Employment and the National Plan for Education for All. CRC – combined third, fourth and fifth report due October 2012. 11. By its resolution 1778 (2007), in September 2007, the Security Council approved the establishment in Chad and the Central African Republic of a multidimensional presence intended to help create the security conditions conducive to a voluntary and sustainable return of refugees and internally displaced persons. The mission - United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) - has a human rights and rule of law component with a mandate to, inter alia, contribute to the monitoring and to the promotion and protection of human rights, with particular attention to sexual and gender-based violence, and recommend action to the competent authorities, with a view to fighting impunity and supporting efforts to put an end to recruitment and use of children by armed groups. The Security Council expanded MINURCAT’s mandate until 15 March 2010. MINURCAT has also conducted several joint field visits with the Ministry of Human Rights to strengthen collaboration with local 13. CRC urged Chad to strengthen its efforts to eradicate all discriminatory laws from its legislation, and encouraged it to adopt a comprehensive strategy to eliminate discrimination on any grounds and against all vulnerable groups, in particular regarding education, and succession and inheritance rights. 14. A 2008 UNICEF report referred to gender discrimination as rooted in the social and cultural beliefs of Chadian society, which results in a host of factors, early marriage and pregnancy, forced marriage, female genital mutilation, domestic work, and child labour, that bar girls from getting into and finishing school. 22. In 2009, CRC recommended taking all necessary measures to prevent, prohibit and protect children from all forms of torture or other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment in all settings. In this regard, particular attention should be paid to the situation of Mouhadjirin children. CRC noted with regret that violence against children continues to take place in the home, in schools, in children’s shelters, in detention centres, and is often legitimized by custom. The Committee encouraged the State to strengthen awareness-raising activities in all settings and recommended taking all necessary legislative and policy measures to address and prevent violence against children, and to care for and reintegrate child victims. CRC further encouraged the State prioritize elimination of all forms of violence against children, including through the strengthening of legislation to address the problem of child abduction and penalize perpetrators of such acts. 23. CRC expressed grave concerns about the continuation of recruitment and use of children by all parties to the conflict and noted that only a small number of children have been demobilized since 2007. The Secretary-General, in a 2008 report to the Security Council, stated that all parties to the conflict reportedly continue to recruit and use children. A 2008 Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) report noted that child recruitment by belligerent parties is an increasingly serious concern, especially in refugee camps in Chad’s north-east. 24. CRC urged Chad to take immediate and adequate measures to ensure observance of legislation setting the minimum age of 18 for recruitment into military forces; to release underage fighters from its military forces, and to facilitate contact between armed groups and the United Nations in order to demobilize and prevent recruitment of children, particularly the practice of recruitment of children in refugee camps. MINURCAT continues to urge the local authorities to prosecute persons alleged to be recruiting children in the camps and surrounding villages in eastern Chad. During her visit to Chad in May 2008, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict welcomed the Government’s decision to release children associated with armed groups held in detention, and to allow United Nations-led teams to verify the presence of children in military camps, instruction centers and detention facilities. The OCHA report noted that, since the signature of an agreement between the Government and UNICEF in May 2007, and the visit of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, 534 children formerly associated with armed forces or groups have been demobilized. 26. Between 2005 and 2006, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, the Special Rapporteur on the question of torture, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on human rights defenders, the Chairperson of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers sent several communications about the arbitrary detention by the Chadian Security Force, ANS (Agence nationale de sécurité), of minors under 15, human rights defenders and journalists. Based on the information they had received, some of the victims remained in undisclosed locations, without access to their families and lawyers. The Government did not reply to these communications. 28. The Secretary-General noted with particular concern that, in some conflict areas, sexual violence is increasingly perpetrated by minors (under 18) and civilians. MINURCAT has received reports of rape and other forms of gender-based violence perpetrated by armed elements in internally displaced persons sites, refugee camps and surrounding villages. During her visit, the Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict continued to raise with Government and non-State actors the issue of girls in the context of armed conflict and the specific problem of sexual violence, and stressed the critical need for assistance for victims of sexual violence. A 2008 UNICEF report noted that girls and women are regularly attacked when searching for wood around refugee camps and IDP sites. The report also noted that female genital mutilation (FGM) is still a common practice in Chad despite its interdiction in the national legislation. While welcoming efforts to eradicate FGM, CRC was deeply concerned that it remains very prevalent (45 per cent in total), and that there are no sanctions for perpetrators of this crime. 9. CRC urged Chad to take all measures to ensure the protection of children from trafficking, and that perpetrators of child trafficking are brought to justice without delay. The Committee recommended developing appropriate legislative measures to address the issues of sexual abuse and sexual exploitation; taking appropriate measures to ensure the prosecution of perpetrators of sexual offences against children; ensuring that child victims of sexual exploitation or abuse are not criminalized or penalized. 30. The ILO Committee of Experts reminded the Government that the sale and trafficking of young persons under 18 years of age for economic or sexual exploitation are considered to be among the worst forms of child labour. The Committee requested the Government to provide information on the measures adopted or envisaged to criminalize clients who use children under 18 years of age for prostitution, and to establish sanctions for this purpose. 31. In 2005, the Special Rapporteur on violence against women, jointly with the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, sent an urgent appeal regarding life conditions and treatment of children living inside Koranic schools under the responsibility of marabouts, who, according to the allegations received, would oblige children to beg without imparting them religious instruction as requested by their families. Corporal punishment would regularly be inflicted by the marabouts and guardians on children in a number of religious schools throughout the country. Women behaving “contrary to Islam” according to their families or husbands may have been constrained in specific quarters inside these schools. CRC recommended that the State explicitly prohibit by law corporal punishment in all settings, including in the family, and implement those laws effectively. 32. CRC urged the State to ensure that any policies, plans and legislation to address child labour, also provide effective protection for children belonging to vulnerable groups, including refugee children, mouhadjirin children and enfants bouviers. The ILO Committee of Experts requested the Government to redouble its efforts to protect these herder children. 36. CRC urged the State to ensure that juvenile justice standards are fully implemented, in particular articles 37 (b), 40 and 39 of the Convention, as well as other relevant United Nations instruments. The Committee recommended, inter alia, taking all necessary measures to ensure that children are held in detention only as a last resort and for as short a time as possible, and that they are held separately from adults both in pre-trial detention and after being sentenced. The Committee also urged the State to ensure that appropriate penalties are applied for acts such as female genital mutilation, early marriage and sexual violence. 41. CRC noted the lack of improvement in health indicators and of access to basic health and social services; the high number of underweight/malnourished children, and the continuing high rates of child and maternal mortality. The Committee recommended addressing the problems of infant and maternal mortality and malnutrition, particularly in rural areas. A 2008 UNICEF report indicated that the main causes for morbidity and mortality of children under 5 years old are malaria, respiratory infections and diarrhoea. 42. CRC urged the State to take measures to reduce HIV/AIDS infection, particularly with regard to the young people. The UNICEF report indicated that HIV/AIDS prevalence amongst the local population rates is about 7.5 per cent in urban and 3.5 per cent in rural areas. 45. A 2008 UNICEF report indicated that among IDPs in Eastern Chad, the number of school-age children is estimated at over 50,000, or about 25 per cent of the total IDP population. The vast majority of these children have never been enrolled in school or had to interrupt their school year when the conflict broke out. A 2007 IMF report indicated that Chad’s education system has long been subject to a number of constraints: the population explosion has made it difficult to meet enrolment demand, programmes are not tailored to meet the needs of the national economy and teacher training is insufficient. 46. In 2008, the ILO Committee of Experts noted that parents continue to discriminate against girls when it comes to enrolling their children in school, and that most women lack a modern education. The Committee asked for information on the results of the measures planned to promote equality in access to education and on the progress made towards reducing the enrolment gap between boys and girls. 49. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the human rights of internally displaced persons, at the end of his visit to Chad, stated that he was especially concerned by the on-going human rights violations against displaced persons, in particular the recruitment of children by the various armed groups, and violations against women and girls. The Special Representative was also concerned by weapons proliferation, the militarization of IDPs sites, of criminality and the climate of impunity prevailing in the regions he visited. 54. CRC deeply regretted the fact that years of civil war and armed conflict have had and continue to have a negative impact on the situation of children and hamper progress in the effective implementation of the rights enshrined in the Convention. 55. A 2008 UNICEF report listed major concerns in terms of children protection in the context of armed conflict in Eastern Chad: the use of children in armed forces and groups, child trafficking, economic exploitation and worst forms of child labour, sexual and gender-based violence including rape, non-registration of newborn refugee and displaced children, and proliferation of unexploded ordnances. 56. The UNICEF report also indicated an estimated life expectancy at birth of 47 years, and that under-5 mortality (200 per 1,000 live births) and maternal mortality rates (1,100 per 100,000 live births) are among the highest in the world. The lack of qualified health staff at all levels – as also highlighted by a 2007 IMF report - and the limited access to health facilities due to 58. The Security Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict urged, inter alia, all parties to comply with international humanitarian law by protecting the civilian population, especially children; to release unconditionally all children; to refrain from any new child recruitment and respect the neutrality of refugee camps and settlements as safe havens for children; to allow full, unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance; to prevent killing and maiming of civilians and address prevailing impunity for such crimes; and to put an end to and prevent the perpetration of rape and other sexual and gender-based violence. OHCHR Summary of stakeholders’ information: 1. The Joint Submission (La Contribution Conjointe) stresses that Chad is party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The Association AZUR Développement/Sexual Rights Initiative (AAD/SRI) add that Chad has ratified the two Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, International Labour Organization (ILO) Conventions No. 138 concerning Minimum Age for Admission to Employment (1973) and No. 182 concerning the Prohibition and Immediate Action for the Elimination of the Worst Forms of Child Labour (1999). 4. AAD/SRI note that, as regards international and regional mobilization against all forms of violence against children, a favourable political context for the protection of children has been created in Chad with the following: the drafting of the National Programme of Action for Chadian Children (1999); the drafting of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper in which strategies for reducing poverty in all social sectors are described, with special emphasis on protecting children in general and vulnerable groups in particular; the fact that the Government has taken into account the recommendations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child; and institution-building. 18. HRW mentioned that in displaced persons sites, tasks that are traditionally allocated to women and girls put them at risk for rape and that it has documented rapes in the refugee camp environment, with several victims subsequently committing suicide due to social ostracism. It has also documented numerous instances of gender-based violence within camps for refugees and 19. The Joint Submission states that female circumcision is not being combated either through legislation or by the authorities, which allow this practice to continue even at the risk of victims’ lives under the pretext that it is a traditional value. The Joint Submission considers the Promotion of Reproductive Health Act to be limited because it does not provide penalties for those guilty of female circumcision and their accomplices. 20. The Joint Submission stresses that Chadian children are subjected to abuses such as enlistment in armed forces or groups, commercial sexual exploitation, abduction, trafficking, early marriage, low school enrolment among girls, torture and ill-treatment. Children are considered by their parents as a source of wealth to be exploited in order to resolve their problems, which leads to 21. FIDH/LTDH/ATPDH point out that child soldiers under the age of 18 remain a reality in the Chadian army and that the Chadian Government, far from demobilizing children, is actually continuing to recruit them. The Joint Submission notes that, following the agreement between the Government and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in May 2007 on the withdrawal of 7,000 children associated with armed forces and groups, only 15.52 per cent of such children were withdrawn from the Chadian National Army (ANT) and that, through a lack of support and follow-up measures, these rescued children often rejoin the army or constitute a public danger (coupeurs de routes or highwaymen). Similar information was reported by HRW. 22. HRW noted that the recruitment of children into the ANT is routine in IDP sites and that children in Sudanese refugee camps in eastern Chad are also subject to recruitment, primarily by the Justice and Equality Movement, a Sudanese rebel group that receives backing from the Chadian Government. HRW added that it is also apparent that forced recruitment has taken place in displaced persons camps and recommended to the Government to: undertake an information campaign to ensure that field commanders within its armed forces are aware of the Government’s obligations under international law to prevent the use and recruitment of child soldiers; take action to ensure the demobilization of all child soldiers and end the recruitment of children under the age of 18 by all armed groups operating on Chadian territory; investigate and prosecute those responsible for the use and recruitment of child soldiers and senior officials implicated, regardless of rank, including as a matter of command responsibility; develop a time-bound action plan to prevent illegal recruitment and demobilize child soldiers; establish a national institution to coordinate the release and reintegration of children associated with armed forces and groups; criminalize the unlawful use and recruitment of children under domestic laws; and agree to designate demilitarized zones as sanctuaries in conflict areas and pre-position humanitarian relief in known places of refuge. 23. Global Initiative to End All Corporal Punishment of Children (GIEACPC) indicated that corporal punishment of children is lawful in the home, that laws against violence and abuse, including the prohibition of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment in Act No. 06/PR/2002, are not interpreted as prohibiting corporal punishment of children and that in August 2007, a child protection law was being drafted, but it has no further information in this regard. It noted that there is no explicit prohibition of corporal punishment in schools, that in the penal system, corporal punishment is unlawful as a sentence for crime but is not explicitly prohibited as a disciplinary measure in penal institutions and that corporal punishment is lawful in alternative care settings. 45. According to the Joint Submission, after the disturbances of February 2008, the Government declared a state of emergency, which the municipality used to evict and dispossess thousands of people in N’Djamena, in violation of the property legislation in force. None of the victims has been kept sufficiently informed or received compensation, and widows, children and elderly people have 12. En ce qui concerne le droit à l’éducation, la délégation a indiqué que le Gouvernement a pris des dispositions pour assurer au mieux et selon ses moyens le salaire des enseignants. Néanmoins, elle a constaté le manque d’infrastructures adéquates et la faible qualification des enseignants (62 pour cent sans formation professionnelle). La gratuité de l’école et son caractère obligatoire sont garantis par l’article 35 de la Constitution et l’enseignement secondaire est généralisé et accessible à tous sur l’ensemble du territoire national. Par contre, l’enseignement technique et professionnel ne l’est pas pour autant. La délégation a souligné que les efforts sont faits pour rendre l’enseignement supérieur entièrement accessible à tous les bacheliers et a noté que le personnel enseignant dans les universités est insuffisant. Une réflexion sur la revalorisation de la situation sociale des étudiants est en cours qui pourra proposer les solutions les meilleures en faveur de l’enseignement supérieur. 13. La délégation a fait savoir qu’en 2002, une politique sectorielle de l’éducation a été adoptée et s’inscrit dans la perspective de la réalisation des objectifs du millénaire pour le développement. Un projet d’appui à la réforme du système éducatif tchadien a été institué. 14. La délégation a relevé que le Tchad est un pays où le taux d’analphabètes est assez élevé et des efforts sont consentis pour l’éducation de base. Ainsi, pour lutter contre l’analphabétisme, un décret a été pris par le gouvernement en 2000 créant un centre pour l’élimination de l’analphabétisme au Tchad. De même, le Gouvernement se préoccupe de la scolarisation des enfants sourds, aveugles et malades et des écoles de formation existent pour assurer leur éducation. Une des politiques du Gouvernement consiste à rabaisser le coût de scolarisation des filles, des cas sociaux et des enfants démunis. 15. La délégation a relevé que depuis 1990, le Tchad s’est lancé dans la voie de l’épanouissement de la femme. S’agissant des enfants, depuis la ratification de la Convention relative aux droits de l’enfant, avec l’appui des partenaires notamment l’Unicef, tout un programme en leur faveur a été élaboré. 24. Brazil commended Chad in particular for promoting a judicial reform and for establishing a National Committee for the Elimination of Illiteracy in Chad. Brazil recommended to the Government of Chad to: (a) ratify the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide; (b) eradicate possible discriminatory laws from its legislation, with a view to guarantee the effective promotion and protection of the rights of vulnerable groups, such as women and children; and (c) accomplish progressively the human right goals as set up by Human Rights Council resolution 9/12. 25. The United Kingdom emphasised the need for free and fair elections, close collaboration with MINURCAT and successful implementation of the August accords. It raised concerns on impunity and security, as well as the detention of opposition leaders and reports of extrajudicial killings. It welcomed positive cooperation on child soldiers and called for a national action plan to eradicate this problem. The United Kingdom made four recommendations: that Chad (a) take steps to strengthen the criminal justice system and, in addition, cooperate fully with the efforts of the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT) in this area; (b) accept the request to visit by the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions; (c) develop now an action plan to prevent the illegal recruitment of children into its forces and establish transparent procedures for the verification and release of children in the Chadian army; (d) sign and ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture. 26. Algeria recommended Chad (a) to continue its efforts to ensure education for all children and to proceed, with the support and the assistance of the international community, to the necessary arrangements for the improvement of its educational system. Algeria asked Chad whether an evaluation of needs for technical and financial assistance was carried out by the Government, and whether steps have been undertaken to ensure that this kind of assistance be provided by United Nations institutions and bodies. While commending the Government’s initiative for the organisation of a forum to evaluate the human rights situation in the country, 27. France called on State authorities to increase efforts to demobilize children enrolled in the Chadian armed forces and to take measures to prevent further recruitment, including by rebel groups. It also called for strengthening of the rule of law and improvement of judicial and prison systems, and requested that illegal detention places be closed. France recommended that Chad (a) implement the recommendations of the Commission of Enquiry regarding the events of February 2008, (b) end impunity for uniformed personnel, (c) ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, (d) take measures to establish a new legislative framework ensuring freedom of the press. 28. Saudi Arabia noted that many institutions for human rights were established and that the Government combats illiteracy and provides free and compulsory education. It recommended that the Working Group report reaffirm the importance for the Government to continue its efforts and initiatives to spread education and requested information regarding the forum that will be organized on the human rights situation in Chad, in particular the right to education. 29. The Netherlands referred in particular to the disappearance of opposition leader Ibni Omar Saleh after his arrest in February 2008 and looked forward to the outcome of the inquiry into the events in Ndjamena in February 2008. The Netherlands recommended Chad to (a) bring officials responsible for acts of arbitrary arrest, extrajudicial executions and the use of excessive force, torture and rape to justice; (b) ensure due process to all detainees; and (c) maintain records for all persons detained by the security forces. The Netherlands referred to reports received that women are still victims of certain discriminatory practices and, in that regard, recommended that the Government of Chad (d) ensure that appropriate penalties are applied for acts such as female genital mutilation, forced marriages and sexual violence; (e) ensure that, in practice, girls have equal access to education; and (f) amend existing legislation so as to ensure equal succession and inheritance rights for women. 32. Switzerland recommended that Chad: (a) take all possible measures to ensure protection of civilians, in particular vulnerable groups such as children, women and displaced persons, (b) increase efforts to reform the judicial system, to allocate the human and material resources necessary for the functioning of and independent, impartial and effective justice system in order to implement the recommendations by the national Commission of Enquiry, established in 2008, (c) reinforce dialogue in the context of the 13 August 2007 agreements with a view to ensure they are effectively implemented, (d) intensify efforts ensuring demobilization of all child soldiers, as well as elaborate a plan of action with concrete time period to put an end of the recruitment and employment of child soldiers. 34. Sweden recommended that Chad (a) take further measures to prevent parties to the conflict from continuing to recruit children, (b) increase efforts to release and demobilize child fighters and implement measures to ensure their reintegration into society. Sweden expressed concern on sexual violence against women and girls and recommended that Chad (c) implement further measures to tackle the problem of violence against women and combat impunity in this regard. It welcomed the law of 2002 prohibiting female genital mutilation and recommended to implement further measures to stop female genital mutilation altogether. 35. Italy recommended that Chad (a) fully implement the 2002 legislation banning female genital mutilation and enhance awareness raising campaigns so as to combat this practice and other traditions harmful to women’s health and dignity. Referring to the work of the National Commission of Enquiry, which indicated that both rebel groups and Chadian National Armed Forces were responsible for human rights violations during the events of February 2008, Italy recommended that Chad (b) implement without delay all the recommendations formulated by the aforementioned Commission and provide all necessary information on the whereabouts of former opposition leader Ibni Omar Saleh. Italy also recommended to (c) take all necessary measures to bring to bring to an end the use of child soldiers by all parties in armed conflicts in Chad. 36. Turkey encouraged authorities to continue cooperation with MINURCAT and with humanitarian organizations. It recommended steping up measures to combat enrolment of children by the belligerents, taking into consideration the concerns expressed by the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. 37. Nigeria noted that the armed conflict has brought about human right abuses, including sexual violence, recruitment of child soldiers, problems of refugees and internally displaced persons, poverty, illiteracy and ignorance, among others. Nigeria called for the 38. Burkina Faso noted that Chad ratified international and regional instruments on children and recommended that Chad continue its policy of implementation of international and regional commitments regarding the rights of children. It also invited Chad to continue ratifying different international human rights instruments and to implement them. 39. The United States of America asked about measures taken to demobilize and reintegrate child soldiers and to end their further recruitment by the Chadian National Army and by the Justice and Equality Movement rebel group. It recommended that Chad (a) demonstrate its firm commitment to ending the unlawful use of child soldiers; (b) formally criminalize in domestic law the recruitment and use of child soldiers by non-governmental armed groups, if it has not already done so, and enforce such laws if they already are on the books; and (c) devote resources to and partner with international organizations in prioritizing the reintegration of child soldiers. Secondly, it recommended that the Government (d) bring to justice those responsible for abuses that took place between 28 January and 8 February 2008. Thirdly, it recommended that the Government (e) complete its review and repeal the new press law as soon as possible, as it appeared to go against the Constitution of Chad and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Chad is a party. 40. Tunisia commended Chad’s commitment to human rights which was made clear through the establishment of a National Human Rights Commission in 1994. Tunisia commended the efforts made in the fields of health and education and took note of the determination of the authorities to halt harmful traditional practices which affect the girl child. As a recommendation, it encouraged the Chadian authorities to continue their activities to combat traditional practices which are harmful to health. 41. Denmark recommended that Chad (a) take all necessary steps to implement the recommendation of the Committee on the Rights of the Child to prevent, prohibit and protect the child from all forms of torture or cruel inhuman or degrading treatment. As an important means to prevent and combat torture, Denmark recommended that Chad (b) give ICRC access to all detention facilities, including “Korotoro”. It also recommended that Chad (c) incorporate in national law the definition of torture as contained in article 1 of the Convention against Torture and specifically criminalize torture. 42. Mexico asked for further information on programmes for protection of refugees and IDPs and sensitization campaigns on child soldiers and child exploitation. It recommended that Chad (a) adopt a national action plan for protection of the rights of children and adolescents, (b) consider favourably the visits of Human Rights Council’s Special Procedures mandate-holders, in particular those who asked to visit the country, and extend an open-ended and permanent invitation to the special procedures, (c) re-adopt the moratorium on the death penalty with a view to its total elimination and (d) ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. 43. Canada recommended that Chad (a) step up its efforts to curb the recruitment of child soldiers by armed groups; and (b) establish a national institution to coordinate the reintegration of demobilized child soldiers into Chadian society. Canada recommended (c) that those responsible for crimes against women be prosecuted and that the individual and family code be promulgated and that Chad provide assistance for women who have been victims of sexual violence; (d) that Chad step up its institutional and operational capacity with respect to the administration of justice in order to bring a halt to impunity and to comply with international human rights instruments. Canada also recommended that Chad (e) speedily adopt practical measures for the full implementation of texts governing the media so that journalists can fully engage in their profession, and (f) respect the human rights of internally displaced persons and refugees. 44. Argentina asked for more information on the Commission of Enquirty set up in 2008. Argentina stated that Chad should take into account the new guidelines of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees regarding the protection of IDPs and guarantee the protection of all refugees, in particular vulnerable groups such as children and women at risk. Chad should also give a prompt response to complaints of violations of ICCPR regarding refugees and IDPs and international legislation on trafficking in persons. It recommended that Chad: (a) conduct campaigns for elimination of discrimination against women and (b) consider ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, (c) ratify the International Convention on the Protection of All Persons from Forced Disappearance and acknowledge the competency of the Committee provided for in the Convention, (d) consider ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the 45. Malaysia commended Chad’s cooperation with the Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Malaysia recommended (a) to undertake more effective measures to improve the security of women and girls, in particular those who live in the conflict and refugee areas; (b) to increase its cooperation with UNICEF and other United Nations bodies to establish a comprehensive strategy to ensure the protection of women and girls from all forms of violence, particularly sexual violence; and (c) to continue its effort to stop the recruitment and use of children by all parties involved in the conflict in the country and to work closely with the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, UNICEF and other relevant parties to demobilize children from the military and other armed groups. 46. The Democratic Republic of the Congo noted that Chad has made numerous efforts to maintain the country on the path of safeguarding democracy and setting up the rule of law. Special reference should be made regarding legislation on health, education and the fight against corruption. The Democratic Republic of the Congo encouraged Chad to continue its efforts to increase citizens’ awareness of the necessity of female education. It also recommended Chad to put in place, with the support of UNICEF, permanent structures against the exploitation of children as cattle herders. 47. Azerbaijan was encouraged by measures taken by the Chadian Government, including cooperation with UNICEF, to eradicate children forced labour. Azerbaijan recommended Chad (a) to step up its efforts in cooperation with United Nations agencies, namely UNICEF, to combat the recruitment of children into military forces and to reintegrate children released from the army into normal life; (b) to take all possible measures with the assistance of the international community to eradicate illiteracy and to ensure access to education especially for girls and women. It asked for further information on the state of progress of judiciary reforms and on measures taken, including with international assistance, to ensure the right to food, particularly for vulnerable groups. 49. Austria recommended that the Government (a) release under-age fighters from its military forces and effectively prosecute persons who are responsible for recruiting children for armed groups, in particular in camps and villages in eastern Chad, criminalize recruitment of children under domestic laws and establish a national institution to coordinate the release and reintegration of released children, as agreed during the visit of the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in May 2008; and (b) take a systematic approach that includes, inter alia, stringent selection processes for and effective supervision of conduct of public officials and judges, as well as human rights training. It also strongly recommend that the Government (c) take measures to ensure the protection of all women from rape and sexual violence, including female genital mutilation. 50. Slovenia recommended that Chad (a) take all necessary legislative and policy measures to address and prevent all forms of violence against children in all settings, including corporal punishment in the family, and strengthen awareness-raising activities; (b) take immediate and adequate measures to ensure that the minimum age for recruitment in military forces is 18, to release under-age fighters from its military forces and to facilitate contact between armed groups and the United Nations in order to demobilize and prevent the recruitment of children, particularly the practice of recruitment of children in refugee camps; (c) take all necessary measures to protect all children in internally displaced persons sites and refugee camps; (d) take all measures to address and prevent abduction of children, child trafficking, sexual abuse and exploitation and child labour, including the prosecution of perpetrators of such acts, and to protect and reintegrate child victims. Slovenia also recommended that Chad take all necessary measures (e) to effectively implement the national legislation prohibiting female genital mutilation and (f) to protect women, and especially girls, from sexual violence in the context of armed conflict. 51. Germany cited reports raising the issue of violence against children and asked for further information on the juvenile justice system in Chad. Germany recommended that Chad (a) abolish the state of emergency; (b) prevent military recruitment of children and foster the rights of the child as provided for in the Convention on the Rights of the Child; and (c) reform the judiciary and establish a true separation of powers to ensure democracy and full respect for human rights. 54. En ce qui concerne les enfants soldats, la délégation a noté que, pendant une mission conjointe avec le Représentant du Secrétaire général chargé de la question des personnes déplacées, l’UNICEF et le Haut-Commissariat des Nations Unies pour les réfugiés, plusieurs familles abritées dans les camps du Haut-Commissariat ont été interrogées sur ce phénomène. En effet, en 2003 et 2004, nombre des parents étaient en contact avec des groups rebelles, mais depuis 2004, le recrutement des enfants s’est totalement arrêté. La situation est similaire dans les camps des populations déplacées. Le Gouvernement peut affirmer qu’a l’intérieur des frontières Tchadiennes, il n’y a pas de recrutement des enfants à présent et que le phénomène des enfants soldats, par ailleurs interdit par la loi, est devenu un mythe. La place des enfants est dans leurs familles et à l’école, et le Gouvernement, qui est en train de conformer sa législation aux conventions internationales sur les droits de l’enfant, reste vigilant sur cette problématique, prêt à réprimer toute violation dans ce domaine. 61. Ireland recommended that Chad : (a) develop a plan of action to prevent the recruitment of child soldiers and to help with demobilization; (b) make further efforts to establish what happened to an opposition leader (Ibni Omar Saleh), ensure that those responsible for his disappearance are prosecuted, follow up on the recommendations of the fact-finding commission and modify the terms of reference and membership to better ensure the independence of the commission; (c) make urgent efforts to ensure humane conditions for detainment in prisons; (d) make further efforts to improve the judicial system as a step towards ensuring the security of IDPs, one of whose priority concerns is to be able to return home. 64. The Czech Republic recommended that Chad (a) accede to CAT-OP, establishing its national preventive mechanism accordingly; (b) review conditions in all detention and prison facilities so that they comply with the Standards Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners; and (c) ensure specific human rights training and education for judicial staff and prison officers and ensure their full accountability for any violations. On freedom of expression, it recommended that Chad (d) adopt concrete measures to ensure protection of journalists and human rights defenders against intimidation, death threats and enforced disappearances, and ensure full investigation of any such cases as well as prosecution of their perpetrators. With regard to women, it was recommended (e) that legislation prohibiting female genital mulitation and violence against women be fully implemented, and knowledge of it widely disseminated through awareness-raising campaigns; and (f) that Chad present its report to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination againt Women without further delay. It also recommended (g) to strengthen measures to ensure the strictly humanitarian nature of refugee and IDP camps, to ensure that persons living there are protected against violence, in particular gender-based violence, and forced recruitment, and finally to increase its efforts to find durable solutions for these persons. 65. Spain recommended to Chad to (a) take decisive actions to ensure immediate protection for civilians at risk and propose to the armed opposition a viable mechanism to meet its needs without the use of weapons; (b) put an end to impunity, investigate crimes and bring perpetrators to trial; (c) prescribe female genital mutilation as an offence, in addition to its present prohibition by law, and take effective measures to eradicate it; (d) declare a new moratorium with a view to ensuring definitive abolition of the death penalty; (e) take immediate actions to establish a minimum age of 18 for recruitment and ensure that those still fighting are demobilized, and take 66. South Africa was particularly concerned about the high incidence of rape and sexual violence of women and girls, including among internally displaced persons. It asked questions, inter alia, on measures taken to address gender violence and increase girls’ enrolment in schools and on impunity and corruption, particularly within the police and military. It encouraged Chad to continue its efforts aimed at, inter alia, the restoration of peace and security, the reform of the judicial system and the implementation of the National Programme of Action for children. 69. Gabon encouraged Chad to promote literacy and strengthen existing legislation in view of ensuring free primary and secondary education. It recommended that Chad multiply its actions with the view to reinforcing legislation in the domain of human rights. 71. Ghana asked for information on measures aiming to eliminate discriminatory practices against women and girls. It recommended that Chad endeavour to adopt readily workable measures aimed at improving the capacity of its institutions to fully address the socio-cultural impediments to the promotion and protection of human rights. 72. China encouraged the Government of Chad to continue the formulation of a national programme of action on the protection of children, its judicial reform and the human rights education of its citizens, especially military and law enforcement personnel. China encouraged Chad to take measures to readjust its domestic law in line with the international human rights conventions it has acceded to and to seek international cooperation to improve the livelihood of its people. China urged the international community to show full understanding of the difficulties encountered by the Chadian Government and provide all forms of assistance and technical support to help the Chadian Government to improve its ability to protect human rights. 73. Senegal encouraged Chad to increase efforts to incorporate in a more effective way international treaties into national legislation and with a view to better protection of children from vulnerable groups, as pointed out by the Committee on the Rights of the Child. Senegal also invited Chad to explore further all the possibilities for cooperation with the mechanisms for protection of human rights, including with the special procedures of the Human Rights Council. 76. Bangladesh noted, inter alia, the establishment of the National Human Rights Commission in the early 1990s. It recommended to (a) enlist the support of the international community to resolve the internal and cross-border conflicts that continue to undermine its national security; (b) remain engaged with UNHCR and other relevant international organizations to seek a comprehensive and durable solution to the refugee and IDP situations within its territory; and (c) accelerate the demobilization of child combatants and ensure their proper rehabilitation with the support of the international community. 77. Angola recommended that Chad (a) strengthen awareness activities in all settings and adopt appropriate legislative and policy measures to address and prevent violence against children and to reintegrate ex child soldiers in society in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child; (b) take all measures to ensure the protection of children from trafficking and bring perpetrators of child trafficking to justice, (c) strengthen policies to promote education and to address educational gender imbalances; (d) reinforce strategies to achieve poverty reduction targets. 78. Equatorial Guinea welcomed, inter alia, the adoption of laws to protect the rights of persons living with HIV/AIDS and persons with disabilities. It recognized the measures taken by Chad to address forced labour and asked what further steps were being taken to address the plight of child cow-herders. It also acknowledged, inter alia, initiatives to protect the rights of refugees and internally displaced persons. It encouraged Chad to remain committed to the protection and promotion of human rights and to stay constructively engaged with the international community in this regard. 80. Japan recommended that Chad (a) ensure revisions to the Electoral Code that meet internationally recognized democratic standards and hold the parliamentary elections that have been postponed since 2006 as soon as possible in a manner that guarantees the political rights of its citizens; (b) implement measures to improve the human rights situation of refugees and internally displaced persons and safety on the ground by enhancing the capabilities of the Chadian security unit (DIS) and coordination among MINURCAT, United Nations human rights bodies and NGOs in order to prevent the militarization of refugee camps and violence against aid workers; and (c) redouble its efforts under the project to reform the educational system, including by redressing the gap in school attendance between males and females working to effectively guarantee the rights of women and girls in the field of education by addressing societal and cultural constraints. Accepted and Rejected Recommendations The following recommendations were accepted by Chad: 82. 9. Continue its policy of implementation of international and regional commitments regarding the rights of children (Burkina Faso); 10. Adopt a national action plan for protection of the rights of children and adolescents (Mexico); 15. Strengthen awareness activities in all settings and adopt appropriate legislative and policy measures to address and prevent violence against children and to reintegrate former child soldiers in society in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (Angola); 21. Review possible discriminatory laws from its legislation, with a view to guaranteeing the effective promotion and protection of the rights of vulnerable groups, such as women and children (Brazil); 22. Take all necessary steps to implement the Committee on the Rights of the Child recommendation to prevent, prohibit and protect the child from all forms of torture or cruel inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (Denmark); 27. Implement further measures to stop female genital mutilation altogether. (Sweden); 28. Take all necessary measures to effectively implement the national legislation prohibiting female genital mutilation (Slovenia); 29. Prescribe female genital mutilation as an offence, in addition to its present prohibition by law, and take effective measures to eradicate it (Spain); 30. Fully implement the 2002 legislation banning female genital mutilation and enhance awareness raising campaigns so as to combat this practice and other traditions harmful to women's health and dignity (Italy); 31. Take all necessary measures to protect women, and especially girls, from sexual violence in the context of armed conflict (Slovenia); 32. Undertake more effective measures to improve the security of women and girls, in particular those who live in the conflict and refugee areas (Malaysia); 33. Increase its cooperation with UNICEF and other United Nations bodies to establish a comprehensive strategy to ensure the protection of women and girls from all forms of violence, particularly sexual violence (Malaysia); 34. Take measures to ensure the protection of all women from rape and sexual violence, including female genital mutilation (Austria); 35. Fully implement legislation, prohibiting female genital mutilation and violence against women and widely disseminate knowledge of it through awareness raising campaigns (Czech Republic); 37. Take all necessary legislative and policy measures to address and prevent all forms of violence against children in all settings, including corporal punishment, and to strengthen the awareness-raising activities (Slovenia); 38. Take all measures to address and prevent abduction of children, child trafficking, sexual abuse and exploitation and child labour, including the prosecution of perpetrators of such acts, and to protect and reintegrate child victims (Slovenia); 39. Take all measures to ensure the protection of children from trafficking and bring perpetrators of child trafficking to justice (Angola); 40. Put in place, with the support of UNICEF, permanent structures against the exploitation of children as cattle herders (Democratic Republic of the Congo); 41. Increase efforts to release and demobilize child fighters and implement measures to ensure their reintegration into society (Sweden); 42. Intensify efforts ensuring demobilisation of all child soldiers, as well as to elaborate a plan of action with concrete time period to put an end to the recruitment and employment of child soldiers (Switzerland); 43. Continue its efforts to stop the recruitment and use of children by all parties involved in the conflict in the country and work closely with OHCA, UNICEF and other relevant parties to demobilize children from the military and other armed groups (Malaysia); 44. Step up measures to combat enrolment of children by the belligerents, taking into consideration the concerns expressed by the Committee on the Rights of the Child and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Turkey); 45. Continue its efforts, if necessary, in cooperation with United Nations agencies, namely UNICEF to combat the recruitment of children into military forces and to reintegrate children released from the army into normal life (Azerbaijan); 46. Develop in good time an action plan to prevent the illegal recruitment of children into its forces and establish transparent procedures for the verification and release of children from the Chadian army. (United Kingdom) Develop a plan of action to prevent the recruitment of child soldiers and to help with demobilization (Ireland); 47. Release under-age fighters from its military forces and effectively prosecute persons who are responsible for recruiting children for armed groups, in particular in camps and villages in Eastern Chad, criminalize recruitment of children under domestic laws and establish a national institution to coordinate the release and reintegration of released children, as agreed during the visit of the Secretary- General's Special Representative in May 2008 (Austria); Prevent military recruitment of children and foster the rights of the child as provided for in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (Germany); 62. Continue its efforts and initiatives to spread education (Saudi Arabia); 63. Strengthen policies to promote education and address educational gender imbalances (Angola); 64. Continue its efforts to ensure education for all children and to proceed, with the support and the assistance of the international community, to the necessary arrangements for the improvement of its educational system (Algeria); 66. Ensure that, in practice, girls have equal access to education (Netherlands); 67. Take all possible measures with the assistance of the international community to eradicate illiteracy and to ensure access to education especially for girls and women (Azerbai jan); 69. Continue to take all necessary measures to protect all children in internally displaced persons sites and refugee camps (Slovenia); 72. Call for the support of the international community to assist it in addressing the challenge of armed conflict with its rebel armed groups, which has brought about human right abuses, including sexual violence, recruitment of child soldiers, problems of refugees and internally displaced persons, poverty illiteracy and ignorance among others (Nigeria); 83. Step up efforts to stop and to prevent that parties to the conflict continue to recruit children (Sweden, Canada, Italy); 84. Formally criminalize in domestic law the recruitment and use of child soldiers by non-governmental armed groups, if it has not already done so, and enforce such laws if they already are on the books and devote resources to and partner with international organizations to prioritize the reintegration of child soldiers (United States of America); The following recommendations are currently pending: 83. P 1. Ensure that appropriate penalties are applied for acts such as female genital mutilation, forced marriages and sexual violence (Netherlands); P 4. Take all possible measures to ensure protection of civilians, in particular vulnerable groups such as children, women and displaced persons (Switzerland); P 8. Intensify its efforts and reinforce all institutions and mechanisms concerned with the reintegration of demobilized child soldiers into Chadian society (Canada); The following recommendations were rejected by Chad: 84, 50b R - Paragraph 50 (b) (Slovenia) "Take immediate and adequate measures to ensure that the minimum age for recruitment in military forces is 18, to release underage fighters from its military forces and to facilitate contact between armed groups and the United Nations in order to demobilize and prevent the recruitment of children, particularly the practice of recruitment of children in refugee camps". R - Paragraph 65 (e) (Spain) "Take immediate actions to establish a minimum age of 18 for recruitment and ensure that those still fighting are demobilized, and take measures to prevent recruitment of minors in refugee camps"
5th May 2009, 3pm to 6pm
(h) The Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified in 1990;
(m) The Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) of ILO, ratified in 2000;
(n) The Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) of ILO, ratified in 2000;
(o) The Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography and on the involvement of children in armed conflict, ratified in 2002.
(h) The multilateral cooperation agreement to combat trafficking in persons, especially women and children, signed in 2006, for which ratification is currently under way.
Decree No. 06/PR/MEN/90 of 15 January 1990 establishing a National Committee for the Elimination of Illiteracy in Chad. Similarly, the education policy, geared to achieving the Millennium Development Goals, was drawn up in 2002. A project supporting the reform of the Chadian education system has been initiated.
authorities.
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47. CRC recommended ensuring access to education, including early childhood education, in all regions and paying particular attention to girls and all vulnerable groups of children, including nomadic children and children in remote areas.
insufficient geographical coverage are serious obstacles for a sustainable improvement of the health situation.
displaced persons, with women complaining of physical abuse by male residents of the camps, including male family members. Similar information was provided by AAD/SRI.
the worst forms of child labour. AAD/SRI point out that all provisions proscribing violence against children impose imprisonment and fines on the perpetrators of such acts and that, should the perpetrator be related to the child, or have authority over the child, this constitutes an aggravating circumstance.
been cast out into the street with no support measures, except for members of the President’s ethnic group who have reportedly received compensation. This ill-considered, unlawful and inappropriate operation has cost the lives of many heads of household and has forced many Chadians to leave for the villages or to go into exile, according to the Joint Submission.
Algeria recommended that (b) solutions to be explored in this framework include training and awareness programs on human rights and international treaties to the benefit of relevant officers, including United Nations technical assistance projects. Algeria recommended the Government (c) to continue in its efforts for the reinforcement of the Rule of Law and respect for and the actual implementation of human rights throughout the country, in particular through the completion of the existing reform process in the fields of justice, territorial administration, the civil registry, the Civil Code and the Family Code.
international community (a) to assist Chad addressing these problems; (b) to help it draw up an electoral programme that will be acceptable to all the parties and bring about the realization of peace, democracy and good governance; and (c) to provide the urgently needed technical and financial assistance in support of its efforts and for the implementation of the recommendations that may come out of this review.
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol.
measures to prevent recruitment of minors in refugee camps.