Departing UN mission in Chad and Central African Republic hands over projects

The United Nations mission in Chad and the Central African Republic (MINURCAT) has handed over its programmes to the Government of Chad and the UN agencies in the country as it prepares to wind up its responsibilities there at the end of this month.

Speaking at the handover ceremony in the Chadian capital, N’Djamena, yesterday, the Deputy-Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Rima Salah, said that the UN country team has extensive field experience and will continue to work for the benefit of the Chadian people.

“The Government and the UN agencies are natural partners and as such they are bound to achieve a lot in the service of the Chadian people,” Ms. Salah said.

The programmes handed over include human rights, rule of law and good governance, child protection, the campaign against gender-based violence, the return of internally displaced persons and HIV/AIDS projects.

The interim UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Stefano Severe, said that the various agencies working in the country will ensure that MINURCAT projects in Chad are implemented successfully.

“We, in the UN family, are fully prepared to take over some of the MINURCAT programmes to ensure their sustainability and to build on the progress so far achieved in the east,” Mr. Severe said.

MINURCAT was established in 2007 to help protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian aid to thousands of people displaced by to insecurity in Chad, the Central African Republic and neighbouring Sudan.

The Security Council decided to terminate the mission in May at the request of the Chadian Government, which has pledged full responsibility for protecting civilians on its territory.

The Government of Chad said its Détachement intégré de sécurité (DIS), an integrated security unit which the UN has been helping to train and support, will ensure the protection of civilians after MINURCAT’s departure.