UNITED NATIONS CAT Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment Distr. GENERAL CAT/C/TCD/CO/1 4 June 2009 ENGLISH Original: FRENCH COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE Forty-second session Geneva, 27 April-15 May 2009 CONSIDERATION OF REPORTS SUBMITTED BY STATES PARTIES UNDER ARTICLE 19 OF THE CONVENTION Concluding observations of the Committee against Torture CHAD 1. The Committee against Torture considered the initial report of Chad (CAT/C/TCD/1) at its 870th and 873rd meetings, held on 29 and 30 April 2009 (CAT/C/SR.870 and 873), and adopted the following conclusions and recommendations at its 888th meeting on 12 May 2009 (CAT/C/SR.888). A. Introduction 2. The Committee welcomes the report of Chad, which follows the Committee’s guidelines for the preparation of initial reports, but regrets that the report was submitted 11 years late. 3. The Committee notes with satisfaction the frankness with which the State party acknowledges the gaps in its legislation regarding the eradication and prevention of torture and, more generally, in its implementation of the Convention. The Committee appreciates the State party’s efforts to identify the measures needed to rectify this situation. It also appreciates the constructive dialogue with the high-level delegation sent by the State party and the replies to the questions raised during the dialogue. B. Positive aspects 4. The Committee takes note of the encouraging political initiatives aimed at extricating the country from the crisis facing it, including the peace agreement signed on 25 October 2007 by the Government and the main Chadian armed opposition groups, and action to normalize relations between Chad and the Sudan as set out in the Dakar Agreement of 13 March 2008. GE.09-42759 (E) 060709 070709

Select target paragraph3