A/HRC/42/42/Add.1 needed financial support to ensure the long-term sustainability of programmes that are helping those most affected and vulnerable in the country. 99. The Working Group, however, notes that although security measures are necessary to address the threats of mercenaries, foreign fighters and groups such as Boko Haram and ISIL, a human rights approach must also be employed. To do otherwise will risk having a predominantly securitized approach to dealing with these threats, which will not necessarily eliminate the root causes that drive individuals to become mercenaries and foreign fighters. A great deal of research is needed to understand such root causes and collating data systematically on these causes will help better inform the measures to counter mercenarism and related actors. 100. Operations such as the Multinational Joint Task Force and national military and security personnel have a significant impact on the lives of local populations. Protection of civilians and ensuring that operations are in line with international human rights standards are crucial to safeguarding against abuses by security forces themselves. Having human rights monitoring functions within these deployments is necessary and requires ongoing strengthening and support. 101. Effectively addressing poverty that is pervasive in the country will also eliminate many of the root causes of mercenarism and affiliation with armed groups. This requires dealing with the most vulnerable groups throughout all of the country’s regions and building strong relationships with ethnic, tribal and religious groups to better understand the socioeconomic needs that the Government needs to address. Having a national development plan that prioritizes the areas covered by the Sustainable Development Goals is critical, and all initiatives focused on the improvement of education, social support and employment opportunities should be implemented for the benefit of the millions of Chadians who are struggling to earn a living. These endeavours must be prioritized as much as the security measures that have absorbed a great deal of the financial aid to the country. In this regard, financial support and aid towards the development and human rights agenda in the country should be encouraged. 102. Having a strong human rights framework in the country and ensuring an environment conducive for effective human rights work is also fundamental. The Working Group notes the important contribution that human rights defenders, civil society organizations and nongovernment entities make in reporting human rights violations and ensuring accountability, not only for the State but also for armed actors such as mercenaries and foreign fighters. 103. The Working Group also recognizes the dire situation of the people caught in the humanitarian crisis in the Lake Chad region and in other severely impoverished areas in the country, and reiterates that resolutions to those crises will be conducive to building a country that is more resilient against armed groups and mercenarism. VI. Private military and security companies 104. The Working Group did not receive sufficient information regarding private security companies in the country. It notes that Decree No. 637 of 1996 regulates the private security industry and prohibits private security personnel from carrying arms. The law is silent on private military companies and the delegation was informed that there were no particular issues concerning these types of operations. The Working Group, however, was informed of important reserves of oil and other natural resources in the country, particularly close to the border with the Central African Republic. It notes the need to strengthen regulations on resource management and the role of private security companies in this context. This would help address any potential human rights violations, particularly in light of the challenges seen in some parts of the region where mercenaries and private security companies have exploited valuable natural resources to fund their illegal activities. 16