CHAD - UN'S UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW OF HUMAN

UNCLAS NDJAMENA 000584

SIPDIS

FOR DRL/MLGA - SIBILLA, IO/RHS - OSTERMEIER, AND AF/C

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREF UNHRC CHAD
SUBJECT: CHAD - UN'S UNIVERSAL PERIODIC REVIEW OF HUMAN
RIGHTS

REF: STATE 130829


1. SUMMARY: Three of the four human rights NGOs contacted by
Embassy N'Djamena are aware of and have contributed to the UN
Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review. Given that
the three human rights organizations are not even the major
Chadian human rights NGOs, it seems that the mechanism for
soliciting input from NGOs is working, at least in Chad. END
SUMMARY.



2. Embassy N'Djamena spoke to four different human rights
NGOs regarding the Universal Periodic Review for Chad that is
scheduled to take place in May 2009. Three of the four
groups told us that they are both aware of the upcoming
Review, and have participated in it by providing information
to the UN Human Rights Council. The three groups who
answered affirmatively are Droit de l'homme sans frontieres
(Human Rights without Borders),Association pour la promotion
des libertes fondamentales au Tchad (Association for the
Promotion of Basic Freedoms in Chad),and the Association
Tchadienne pour la Non Violence (the Chadian Association for
Nonviolence).


3. A senior official in the Human Rights Ministry, the
Deputy Inspector General (fourth rung down in terms of
seniority, after the Minister, Secretary General, and
Inspector General) told us he is not aware of the review.
However, he thought the Minister himself might be involved,
given that he has trips to Geneva scheduled in the next few
months.


4. COMMENT: Given that the three human rights organizations
that have been participating in the Universal Periodic Review
are not even the major Chadian human rights NGOs, it seems
that the mechanism for soliciting input from NGOs is working,
at least in Chad.
NIGRO