Gabon

Gabon has a standing national mechanism for implementation, reporting and follow-up entited the National Committee for Drafting Human Rights Reports.

INSTITUTIONAL SETUP

The national mechanism of Gabon was established by Presidential Decree No. 000102 of 15 January 2007.

Composition

NMIRF includes representatives from the Prime Minister's Office; ministries including Ministries of: Justice, Interior, Defense, Social Affairs, Labor, Foreign Affairs, Health, National Education, and Women's Promotion). Members also include representatives from:

• Parliament
• the Economic, Social and Environmental Council,
• the National Human Rights Commission
• the High Authority for Communication
• Civil society organizations. The mechanism coordinates with focal points for persons with disabilities and gender equality. Focal points representing state entities are appointed by the respective ministers.

Secretariat

While it does not have a permanent secretariat, the Directorate General for Human Rights carries out its reporting functions.

MANDATE

The mandate of the national mechanism includes:

• Reporting to UN Human Rights Mechanisms (UN Treaty Bodies, Universal Periodic Review)
• Reporting to Regional Human Rights Mechanisms

The national mechanism's engagement with UN and regional human rights mechanisms mainly focuses on reporting.

The Committee does not meet regularly. It is a non-permanent body that meets upon the call of its president.

COORDINATION

The Committee does not meet regularly. It is a non-permanent body that meets upon the call of its president.

Channel of communication with the Parliament Through its focal point, a member of the report drafting committee who, most often, comes from the Commission on Laws and Human Rights.

Channel of communication with the Judiciary In recent years, in practice, the judiciary has been heavily involved in the drafting process (e.g., the CAT and CED reports) and in the presentation of reports (fourth UPR cycle).

CONSULTATION

The national mechanism consult with key non-governmental stakeholders, including civil society organizations, marginalized groups, and the National Human Rights Institution, which are integral to the report drafting process. Recommendations are shared and relevant information is transmitted to the Directorate General for Human Rights, serving as the Secretariat. Information on the implementation of recommendations is managed and exchanged using official mail and a dedicated WhatsApp platform.

Gabon has developed action plans for human rights and has received support from OHCHR and other partners for drafting and validating reports as well as training on NMIRFs. Communication with the National Statistics Office is not established, and the NMIRF is not directly involved with the 2030 Agenda or SDG coordination.