S/PV.5442 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 consideration of the item, 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.

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Members of the Council have before them document S/2006/222, which contains the eighth report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire. Following consultations among members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council: “The Security Council expresses its full support for the International Working Group (IWG) and endorses its seventh final communiqué dated 19 May 2006. “The Security Council welcomes the launching of first pilot operations of public hearings in seven locations, in particular in Abidjan, in the South and in the North of the country. It welcomes also the discussions engaged by the Chiefs of Staff of the Defence and Security Forces of Côte d’Ivoire (FANCI) and the Armed Forces of the Forces Nouvelles (FAFN) to initiate without delay the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) programme. “The Security Council commends the Prime Minister, Charles Konan Banny, for having taken, in cooperation with President Laurent Gbagbo, these concrete initiatives which constitute a first step towards the implementation of the peace process he leads. It reiterates to him its full support. “The Security Council calls upon the community of donors to provide all the necessary financial resources to the High Representative for the Elections to support the full implementation of his mission. “The Security Council underlines that many of the essential tasks envisaged in the road map established by the IWG remain to be executed. It reiterates its grave concern at the serious delay in the implementation of the road map, as well as the one expressed by the Secretary-General in paragraph 74 of his report dated 11 April 2006 (S/2006/222). “The Security Council strongly condemns the acts of violence against civilians, political leaders and impartial forces. It demands that all Ivorian parties refrain from making any public messages that incite hatred and violence. It warns all Ivorian parties in that regard. “The Security Council invites the Prime Minister and the Government of National Reconciliation he leads to take immediately, with the support of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) in accordance with its mandate, all the necessary measures to accelerate the implementation of the road map, in particular the DDR and identification operations, the redeployment of the administration throughout the territory and the reunification of the country. “The Security Council calls upon the Ivorian authorities to take without delay all the necessary steps so that those responsible for violence are identified and punished, to keep the IWG and the Secretary-General informed in this regard, and, in close liaison with UNOCI, to ensure the full independence and neutrality of Radio Télévision Ivoirienne (RTI). “The Security Council urges all Ivorian parties, including the Chiefs of Staff of FANCI and FAFN, to closely cooperate with the Prime Minister in order to create the conditions indispensable for the holding of free, open, fair and transparent elections by 31 October 2006. “The Security Council invites the IWG to report to it as soon as possible on its assessment of the implementation of the road map. “The Security Council underlines that targeted measures are to be imposed against persons to be designated by the Committee established by paragraph 14 of resolution 1572 (2004) who among other things block the implementation of the peace process, including by attacking or obstructing the action of UNOCI, of the French forces which support it, of the High Representative for the elections or of the International Working Group, or who incite publicly hatred and violence, as provided in resolutions 1572 (2004) and 1643 (2005).” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2006/23. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.