A/HRC/WG.6/5/L.1 Page 4 6. The drafting committee had been confronted with a dual obstacle in preparing the report: on the one hand, the country was in the throes of a military-political crisis which had paralysed all activities of State institutions; and on the other hand, the international crisis had made it even more difficult to raise funds to finance the committee’s work. However, the determination of the President of the Republic and his commitment to human rights issues had enabled the report to be completed. 7. The delegation stressed the efforts made by the Government to improve the human rights situation, which were reflected in the measures taken in the social, security, institutional and legal fields. 8. In the social and security field, the delegation mentioned the regular payment of wages; the resolution of the military-political crisis which had led to the inclusive political dialogue (DPI) at Bangui in December 2008, resulting in strong recommendations; the creation of a follow-up committee to ensure that the recommendations were fully implemented; the establishment of a permanent dialogue between the Government and the social partners (trade unions) with a view to the peaceful settlement of any possible social conflicts through a tripartite commission; the restructuring of the armed forces and the programme for the demobilization, disarmament and reintegration (DDR) of the former rebels pursuant to the DPI, which had restored confidence between the national army and the people. 9. The delegation stated that the deployment of the European Union military operation and the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad in the north-east of the country had enabled refugees and displaced persons to return and had reassured the population of that area, affected by the acts of aggression of negative forces between 2006 and 2007. 10. The Permanent Military Tribunal had been reactivated, permitting the prompt trial of any human rights violation committed by the defence and security forces. There had been a substantial reduction in the number of hold-ups and armed robberies thanks to the DDR programme conducted by the Government with the support of the international community. 11. In the institutional and legal field, the delegation stated that a new Constitution had been adopted on 27 December 2004, strengthening democracy through the establishment of a National Mediation Council and a Higher Council for Communication.