S/PV.5318 Security Council

I should like to inform the Council that I have received a letter from the representative of Côte d’Ivoire in which he requests to be invited to participate in the consideration of the item on the Council’s agenda. In conformity with the usual practice, I propose, with the consent of the Council, to invite that representative to participate in the discussion, without the right to vote, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Charter and rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure. There being no objection, it is so decided. At the invitation of the President, Mr. Bailly- Niagri (Côte d’Ivoire) took a seat at the Council table.

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. I wish to draw the attention of the members of the Council to document S/2005/768, containing the text of a letter dated 8 December 2005 from the Secretary- General addressed to the President of the Security Council. After consultations among members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council: “The Security Council welcomes the appointment of Mr. Charles Konan Banny as Prime Minister of Côte d’Ivoire, and expresses its full support for him. It also commends the continued and decisive efforts of Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Thabo Mbeki and Mamadou Tandja, and reiterates its full support for them. “The Security Council endorses the final communiqué of the International Working Group (IWG) of 6 December 2005. It recalls the IWG’s previous final communiqué of 8 November which stated in particular that the fundamental basis of the peace and national reconciliation process is enshrined in resolution 1633 (2005) and that the IWG will provide all necessary support to the new Prime Minister and the Government that he will establish. The Council also reaffirms its support for the decision of the African Union Peace and Security Council, which stresses that the Ministers shall be accountable to the Prime Minister who shall have full authority over his Cabinet. “The Security Council recalls and reaffirms that the Prime Minister must have all the necessary powers and resources described in resolution 1633 (2005), and stresses the importance of the full implementation of this resolution by the Ivorian parties under the monitoring of the IWG. Therefore, the Security Council urges the establishment without delay of the Government so that the Prime Minister can implement as soon as possible the road map defined by the IWG, and requests the Mediation Group and the IWG to monitor this matter closely. “The Security Council reiterates its full support for the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and the High Representative for the elections.” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2005/60. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.