1. UNITED NATION SOCIAL FORUM
DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE, HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE EQUITABLE DEVELOPMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
GENEVA 1-4 OCTOBER 2012
Me. DELPHINE KEMNELOUM DJIRAIBE
Public Interest Law Center
CHAD

2. DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE
To build democratic governance, the biggest challenge is to develop institutions and processes that are more responsive to the needs of ordinary citizens including the poor. Democratic governance should promote development at the same time.
Such processes must encourage:
participation
accountability
effectiveness at all levels.

3. WHO CONTROLS POWER CONTROLS OIL MONEY
Without democratic governance, sustainable people-centered development is not possible.
Chad exemplifies how a lack of democratic governance can drastically undermine opportunities for sustainable development and elevate poverty. Chad’s oil wealth has deepened the gap between rich and poor and exacerbated armed conflicts over power: “who controls power controls oil money.”

4. REPUBLIC OF CHAD

5. REPUBLIC OF CHAD Population: about 11 million 52% of women
11 august 1960: independence from France
1975: assassination of the first president of the republic of Chad
1979: Civil war in N’djamena the capital city
1982: Hissen Habre’s dictatorship regime
1990: Idriss Deby’s so called democratic regime

6. 1993: National Sovereign Conference
1996: Constitutional referendum
2005: Amendment to the constitution to remove the limitation term
2007: Political agreement to strengthen democratic process
2006: Rebels group attack on N’djamena
2008: Second rebel group attack on N’djamena.
President Idriss Deby who took power by “coup d’etat” has legitimate himself by rigged and contested elections and is in power since 1990 (22 years)

7. CHAD IS AN OIL PRODUCING COUNTRY SINCE 2003
Since 2000 the World Bank has approved the Chad Cameroon pipeline known as the Chad Cameroon project (1070 length of pipeline, estimated 1.5 million of barrels).
The objective of the project is to help Chad elevate its poverty and start sustainable development.
The project was completed a head of the planed time and oil revenue started flowing since 2003.
As soon as the government start getting the oil revenue, the all governance of the country has begun to crumple.

8. The government has changed the law governing the management of the oil revenue to include the security sector among the priority sectors ( education, health , agriculture and infrastructure).
The constitution has also been changed to allow President Deby to run for presidency without limitation. It has been a starting point for the exacerbation of armed conflict, massive violation of human rights. Including, unlawful arrest, violation of freedom of press and of opinion, rampant corruption and insecurity.
As result majority of the population has become poorer than they were before the exploitation of oil.

9. THE ROLE OF CIVIL SOCIETY
The civil society in Chad has played a key role by helping redesigning the project to include control measures and mainly to be a watchdog in order to alert the World Bank and the government of Chad on the risk of the failure of the project.
Despite their warnings they were not listening and the project has turned to a disaster for the Chadian population.

10. SOME EXAMPLES
In 2007, military and security spending totaled billion FCFA compare to billion FCFA for the 4 priority areas combined (education, health, agriculture and livestock).
Military spending of the Chadian State increased from billions FCFA in 2004 to billions in 2008, corresponding to an increase of billions FCFA within four years.
Reduced investment in social services for the benefit of the security sector.

11. BUDGET OVERVIEW SINCE THE OIL PRODUCTION
YEAR
BUDGET
OIL REVENUES
% OF OIL REVENUES
2004
199 906 
82 810 
38,67%
2005
296 483 
125 522 
42,34%
2006
579 946 
383 507 
64,94%
2007
767 083 
559 869 
73,21%
2008
1 044 972 
704 529 
72,88%
2009
560 066 
486 700 
56,88%
2010
1 034 381 
591 475 
57,18%
2011
1 572 482 
939 861 
59,76%
2012
1 366 624 
664 870 
48,65%

12. CURRENT SITUATION
Socio-political and security crisis is occurring now in Chad and may impact negatively the precarious peace expensively acquired.
Poor governance including the non fairly redistribution of national wealth (oil revenue); misused of public fund, confiscation of the country's wealth in favor of the ruling minority, the unaffordable cost of living ... are evils that undermine the country’s peace.
Union leaders, journalists and civil servants are prosecuted and sentenced to prison and heavy fine after unfair trial for acts of strike and / or for relaying information about it.

13. Thank You for your kind attention.
CONCLUSION
This is an opportunity to call for international solidarity to act for the protection of the Chadian population and to consolidate peace.
Thank You for your kind attention.