A/HRC/45/55 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 24 August 2020 English Original: French Human Rights Council Forty-fifth session 14 September–2 October 2020 Agenda item 10 Technical assistance and capacity-building Human rights situation in the Central African Republic Report of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Central African Republic* Summary The present report of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in the Central African Republic, Yao Agbetse, drawn up pursuant to Human Rights Council resolution 42/36 of 27 September 2019, covers the period from July 2019 to June 2020. It describes general trends in the human rights situation in the Central African Republic and the major developments affecting it. The reporting period was marked by the approach of the presidential election scheduled for December 2020, for which the Central African Republic is preparing within the established constitutional time frame. However, note must be taken of the difficulties associated with the implementation of the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic, which is further hampered by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The reporting period was also marked by the celebration on 6 February 2019 of the one-year anniversary of the entry into force of the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation in the Central African Republic between the Central African Government and 14 armed groups. The event provided an opportunity for all parties to take stock of the Agreement’s implementation, which will lead to lasting peace. The Agreement, which allowed armed groups to be part of the Government, is considered a symbol of the unification of the Central African Republic. However, for the Peace Agreement to be effective, all parties must implement its provisions in good faith and ensure that justice is done. Reforms are under way in the security sector, and the disarmament, demobilization, reintegration and repatriation process has begun. There is a need for all stakeholders and partners to mobilize as soon as possible the technical and financial resources required to implement this process at the national level. * Agreement was reached to publish the present report after the standard publication date owing to circumstances beyond the submitter’s control. GE.20-10998 (E) 160920  170920