Ndjamena, Chad, 21 June 2018 – Chadian President H.E. Idriss Déby today officially launched the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Country Review Report (CRR) for Chad here in Ndjamena.

The 19th report to be completed by the APRM, the Chad CRR stands out as one of the finest reports produced by the Mechanism. Like all other reports, the Chad CRR identifies a number of governance areas in which the Government is doing well and a number of other areas in which there is room for improvement.

A good example of good practice that easily stands out is the establishment of a National Political Dialogue Framework (CNDP) under which the ruling and opposition political parties come together to resolve major problems facing the country through peaceful dialogue.

At the same time, among a number of areas identified for improvement are the weakness of the electoral process and its management bodies, imbalance in the powers of the different branches of the state with the pre-eminence of the Presidency, and prevalence of corruption.

What is remarkable about Chad is that, already at the launch, H.E. the President informed his audience that the implementation of some of the major recommendations of the CRR are already in the process of being implemented.

At the launch, H.E. President Déby, welcomed the CRR and applauded the quality of its analysis and its findings. The launch event was attended by cabinet ministers, members of the judiciary, representatives of APRM Structures, government officials, civil society organizations and members of the diplomatic community. H. E. President Déby further underlined: “the work done by the APRM should be commended and supported. The report is rich and full of lessons that could be useful for the development of Chad”.

The report contains key highlights of development that the Chadian President committed to address as a matter of priority. These include access to education for rural communities, access to clean water, rural development and human capital development. He said these will headline the country’s National Programme of Action.

The Chadian President who is also the current Chairperson of the APR Forum further stated that since the review mission in 2016 the country has made some inroads in addressing some of the issues in the review report. He mentioned that progress has been made on the promotion of the freedom of speech, transparent electoral reforms and that the country has set up a national political framework as means of reinforcing good governance.

Also speaking at the launch Chadian Focal Point, Professor Khayar Oumar Defallah, said his country undertakes to conduct periodic self-assessments in an effort to serve its people effectively. He said Chad is steadfast in its responsibility to the APRM values. The Focal Points Chair said this is demonstrated by Chad’s constant efforts to share knowledge and experience with other APRM countries that have yet to undergo a review process.

In his address at the launch event, Lead Panel Member to Chad, Professor Al-Almin Abu Manga, expressed his gratitude to the Chadian President and the people of that country for their support during the review mission, which was led by a different panel member who has since retired. He highlighted the key challenges as raised in the report that the government should focus on in order to make the process meaningful for the people of Chad.

Copies of the report were later distributed to the hundreds of attendees. The Country review report is prepared on the basis of the self-assessment report and in-country interactions by a country review team with official and unofficial sources.

THE FIVE STAGES OF A PEER REVIEW

1. CONSULTATION The APR Secretariat and the Country under review consult on the process overview and terms of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The Country under review creates a Focal Point to liaise with the Secretariat and provide it with relevant laws, treaty ratifications, budgets and development plans. The Secretariat prepares a background assessment document. At the same time, the Country under review independently completes the APR Self-Assessment Questionnaire, gathers inputs from civil society and drafts a paper outlining the nation’s issues and a National Programme of Action (NPoA) with clear steps and deadlines on how it plans to conform to APRM codes and standards, the African Union Charter, and UN obligations. The Country Review Team that is set up writes a report outlining issues to be focused on during the review mission.

2. THE REVIEW MISSION visits the Country under review and conducts broad-based consultations with government, officials, political parties, parliamentarians, and representatives of civil society organisations (e.g. media, academia, trade unions, professional bodies), and the private sector. The mission typically lasts two-and-a-half to three weeks.

3. DRAFT REPORT: The APR Country Review Team drafts a report on the Country under review.

4. THE PEER REVIEW takes place at the level of the APR Forum, using the APR Panel’s report on the team’s findings as a basis. The APR Forum discusses these recommendations with the Reviewed Country’s leadership.

5. FINAL REPORT Within six months, after the peer review, the published Country Review Report must be tabled in sub-regional institutions (Pan-African Parliament, African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, AU Peace and Security Council, Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the African Union [ECOSOCC AU]). The report is then made publicly available.

6. THE SECOND-GENERATION REVIEW: The objective of the APRM Second Generation Review is to assess progress made in Governance and Socio-economic Development in Member States in the period since the Base Review.