Claiming Human Rights - in the Central African Republic

The Central African Republic is a member of the United Nations and the African Union. It has ratified many UN Human Rights Conventions (compare list on the right) and thus has made binding international commitments to adhere to the standards laid down in these universal human rights documents.

The Central African Republic is a Sango- and French-speaking country in Central Africa. It is a landlocked country with an area of 622,984 square km. On a global scale, its population density is very low. The capital of the country, which became independent on 13 August 1960 from France, is Bangui. The Central African Republic is a member of the regional economic communities ECCAS and CEN-SAD.

With a Human Development Index of 0.37 the Central African Republic ranks fourth lowest among 182 countries ranked in the UNDP Human Development Report of 2009. Life expectancy of the 4.4 million inhabitants at birth is 45 years, population growth is 1.8 percent per year. GNI is 410 US-$ per capita. External debt is 57.2 percent of gross national income. Primary school enrolment is 56.2 percent.

In as far as the Central African Republic has ratified the Optional Protocols for UN Human Rights Conventions or has accepted the Competence of the corresponding UN Treaty Bodies (compare list on the right), the inhabitants of the Central African Republic and their representatives are able to invoke their human rights through these bodies.

All inhabitants of the Central African Republic may turn to the UN Human Rights Committee through procedure 1503, to the Special Rapporteurs for violations of specific human rights or to ECOSOC for women's rights violations.

Since the Central African Republic is a member state of UNESCO, its citizens may use the UNESCO procedure for human rights violations in UNESCO's fields of mandate.

Employers' or workers' and certain other organizations (not individuals) of the Central African Republic may file complaints through the ILO procedure in the cases of those conventions which the Central African Republic has ratified.

Since the Central African Republic is an AU member, its citizens and NGOs may file complaints to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

They may also file complaints according to the EU guidelines (on Human Rights Defenders, Death Penalty and Torture) to Embassies of EU Member States and the Delegations of the European Commission.

In cases of human rights violations by multinational enterprises, they may also invoke the National Contact Point in an OECD member state.

The Central African Republic has joined the International Criminal Court, it may thus be called upon in case of severe crimes.