The Security Council, by its resolution 1778 of 25 September 2007, approved the establishment in Chad and the Central African Republic of a multidimensional presence intended to help create the security conditions conducive to a voluntary, secure and sustainable return of refugees and displaced persons, inter alia by contributing to the protection of refugees, displaced persons and civilians in danger, by facilitating the provision of humanitarian assistance in eastern Chad and the north-eastern Central African Republic and by creating favourable conditions for the reconstruction and economic and social development of those areas.

The Council decided that the multidimensional presence shall include a United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (the acronym MINURCAT is to be used in all languages), with the following mandate in eastern Chad and the north-eastern Central African Republic, in liaison with the United Nations country team:

Security and protection of civilians

   (a) To select, train, advise and facilitate support to elements of the Police tchadienne pour la protection humanitaire;

   (b)  To liaise with the national army, the gendarmerie and police forces, the nomad national guard, the judicial authorities and prison officials in Chad and the Central African Republic to contribute to the creation of a more secure environment;

  (c)  To liaise with the Chadian Government and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in support of their efforts to relocate refugee camps which are in close proximity to the border, and to provide to UNHCR, on availability and cost-reimbursable basis, logistical assistance for that purpose;

  (d)  To liaise closely with the Sudanese Government, the African Union, the African Union Mission in the Sudan (AMIS), the AU/UN Hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID), the United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office in the Central African Republic (BONUCA), the Multinational Force of the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (FOMUC) and the Community of Sahelo-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) to exchange information on emerging threats to humanitarian activities in the region;

Human rights and the rule of law

  (e)  To contribute to the monitoring and to the promotion and protection of human rights, with particular attention to sexual and gender-based violence, and to recommend action to the competent authorities, with a view to fighting impunity;

  (f)  To support, within its capabilities, efforts aimed at strengthening the capacity of the Governments of Chad and the Central African Republic and civil society through training in international human rights standards, and efforts to put an end to recruitment and use of children by armed groups;

   (g)  To assist the Governments of Chad and, notwithstanding the mandate of BONUCA, the Central African Republic in the promotion of the rule of law, including through support for an independent judiciary and a strengthened legal system, in close coordination with United Nations agencies.”

The Security Council, acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, also:

  (a)  Authorizes the European Union to deploy, for a period of one year from the date that its initial operating capability is declared by the European Union in consultation with the Secretary-General, an operation (hereinafter referred to as “the European Union operation”) aimed at supporting the elements referred to in paragraphs 2 to 4, and decides that this operation shall be authorized to take all necessary measures, within its capabilities and its area of operation in eastern Chad and the north-eastern Central African Republic, to fulfil the following functions, in accordance with the arrangement to be concluded between the European Union and the United Nations, in liaison with the Governments of Chad and the Central African Republic:

• (i) To contribute to protecting civilians in danger, particularly refugees and displaced persons;


• (ii) To facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and the free movement of humanitarian personnel by helping to improve security in the area of operations;


• (iii) To contribute to protecting United Nations personnel, facilities, installations and equipment and to ensuring the security and freedom of movement of its staff and United Nations and associated personnel.

  (b)  Authorizes the European Union operation, at the close of the period referred to in subparagraph a, to take all appropriate measures to achieve an orderly disengagement, by means including fulfilment of the functions indicated in subparagraph a, and within the limits of its residual capacity.”

The Council also, among other things, invited the European Union operation to immediately take all appropriate measures to prepare its full operational capability and requested the Secretary-General to coordinate closely with the European Union particularly with regard to those arrangements required to ensure appropriate protection for United Nations personnel, facilities, installations and equipment and ensure freedom of movement of United Nations staff.

The Security Council, by its resolution 1861 of 14 January 2009, extended MINURCAT’s mandate for a period of 12 months in order to help create the security conditions conducive to a voluntary, secure and sustainable return of refugees and displaced persons, inter alia by contributing to the protection of refugees, displaced persons and civilians in danger; by facilitating the provision of humanitarian assistance in eastern Chad and the north-eastern Central African Republic; and by creating favourable conditions for the reconstruction and economic and social development of those areas.

In the same resolution, the Council authorized the deployment of a military component of MINURCAT to follow up EUFOR in both Chad and the Central African Republic at the end of its mandate on 15 March 2009.

It decided that MINURCAT should include a maximum of 300 police officers, 25 military liaison officers, 5,200 military personnel, and an appropriate number of civilian personnel.

The Council further decided that MINURCAT should have the following mandate in eastern Chad and the north-eastern Central African Republic, in liaison with the United
Nations country team and, as appropriate, in liaison with the United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office in the Central African Republic (BONUCA) and
without prejudice to the mandate of BONUCA:

Security and protection of civilians

  (a) To select, train, advise and facilitate support to elements of the Détachement intégré de sécurité;

  (b) To liaise with the national army, the gendarmerie and police forces, the nomad national guard, the judicial authorities and prison officials in Chad and the Central African Republic to contribute to the creation of a more secure environment, combating in particular the problems of banditry and criminality;

  (c) To liaise with the Chadian Government and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in support of their efforts to relocate refugee camps which are in close proximity to the border, and to provide to UNHCR, on availability and cost-reimbursable basis, logistical assistance for that purpose;

   (d) To liaise with the Sudanese Government, the African Union/United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), BONUCA, the Multinational Force of the Economic Community of Central African States in the Central African Republic (MICOPAX) and the Community of Sahelo-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) to exchange information on emerging threats to humanitarian activities in the region;

  (e) To support the initiatives of national and local authorities in Chad to resolve local tensions and promote local reconciliation efforts, in order to enhance the environment for the return of internally displaced persons.

Human rights and the rule of law

  (f) To contribute to the monitoring and to the promotion and protection of human rights in Chad, with particular attention to sexual and gender-based violence, and to recommend action to the competent authorities, with a view to fighting impunity;

  (g) To support, within its capabilities, efforts aimed at strengthening the capacity of the Government of Chad and civil society through training in international human rights standards, and efforts to put an end to recruitment and use of children by armed groups;

  (h) To assist the Government of Chad in the promotion of the rule of law, including through support for an independent judiciary and a strengthened legal system, in close coordination with United Nations agencies.

Regional peace support

   (i) To continue to play a role as observer with UNAMID in the Contact Group that was established under the 13 March 2008 Dakar Accord to monitor its implementation and assist, as necessary, the Governments of Chad, the Sudan and the Central African Republic to build good neighbourly relations.

Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, the Security Council decided further that MINURCAT should be authorized to take all necessary measures, within its capabilities and its area of operations in eastern Chad, to fulfill the following functions, in liaison with the Government of Chad:

• (i) To contribute to protecting civilians in danger, particularly refugees and internally displaced persons;


• (ii) To facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid and the free movement of humanitarian personnel by helping to improve security in the area of operations;


• (iii) To protect United Nations personnel, facilities, installations and equipment and to ensure the security and freedom of movement of its staff and United Nations and associated personnel;

The Council decided further that MINURCAT should be authorized to take all necessary measures, within its capabilities and its area of operations in the north-eastern Central African Republic, to fulfill the following functions, through establishing a permanent military presence in Birao and in liaison with the Government of the Central African Republic:

• (i) To contribute to the creation of a more secure environment;
  
  
• (ii) To execute operations of a limited character in order to extract civilians and humanitarian workers in danger;


• (iii) To protect United Nations personnel, facilities, installations and equipment and to ensure the security and freedom of movement of its staff and United Nations and associated personnel.