The Human Rights Council this afternoon held a high-level interactive dialogue to assess developments in the situation of human rights on the ground in the Central African Republic, followed by an interactive dialogue on the High Commissioner’s report on South Sudan.

Volker Türk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, said the people of the Central African Republic endured a daily reality of unpredictable outbreaks of violence. Every day, the civilian population was abused by armed groups, defence and security forces, and private military and security personnel. More than half a million children between the ages of 3 and 17 were out of school or at risk of dropping out of school due to a severe lack of qualified teachers and inadequate school facilities. Last year, the Human Rights Division identified 647 child victims of child rights violations, the majority of whom related to the use of children in armed conflict, violations of their physical integrity and freedom, arbitrary detention, and conflict-related sexual violence. Mr. Türk called on the Government to urgently adopt practical measures to prevent these grave violations, to provide comprehensive care for victims, and to implement the Child Protection Code. Widespread impunity remained one of the biggest challenges facing the country.

Arnaud Djoubaye Abazene, Minister of State in Charge of Justice, Human Rights and Good Governance of the Central African Republic, said the Government of the Central African Republic was resolved to ensure the promotion and protection of children’s rights, and fighting against their recruitment by armed groups, getting them out, and reintegrating them. The Government would prosecute and punish those guilty of crimes against children and other violations of child rights. Any allegations made would be investigated. The Government had taken legal, operational, practical and institutional steps in this regard, including adopting a Code of Protection for Children. At the highest level in the country, attention was being paid to all children’s issues.

Virginia Gamba de Potgieter, Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Children and Armed Conflict, said while there was a decrease in the number of verified grave violations against children in the Central African Republic in 2022 compared to 2021, boys and girls continued to be affected by the conflict and being exposed to conflict-related violence and grave violations.

The recruitment and use of children remained the most prevalent violation verified in 2022. Steps were being made by the Government, including the adoption of a national plan against trafficking of children in April last year, with a focus on preventing the use of children by the armed forces of the Central African Republic. The international community needed to prioritise political, technical and financial support for long-term reintegration for boys and girls as they continued to be released or escaped from armed groups.