S/PV.7197 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representative of Côte d’Ivoire to participate in this meeting. In accordance with rule 39 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedures, I invite Ms. Aïchatou Mindaoudou, Special Representative of the Secretary- General for Côte d’Ivoire and Head of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire, to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2014/342, which contains the thirty-fourth report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire. I now give the floor to Ms. Mindaoudou.

I would like thank the Council for this opportunity to speak before the Security Council this morning in order to present the report of the Secretary-General on the situation in Côte d’Ivoire (S/2014/342), dated 15 May, and to provide an update on recent developments in the country. Côte d’Ivoire has started on the path towards sustainable stability. The economic growth rate is significant. The infrastructure is rapidly developing and private investment, attracted by a very favourable business environment and encouraged by the Government of President Alassane Ouattara, is increasing. Thanks to those positive economic developments and the increase in the minimum wage, the Ivorian people are beginning to share the dividends of peace. As the report before the Council underscores, the reconciliation process has gained new momentum with the extension of the mandate of the Commission on Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation in February. The Commission has continued its public hearings throughout the country so as to hear approximately 60,000 people before its mandate expires in September. The expectations for the Commission, which will make recommendations to the Government on compensation and other measures for the victims of the crisis in order to promote the reconciliation process, are immense. In the context of the ongoing efforts to strengthen reconciliation and national cohesion, President Ouattara continues to reach out to those associated with the former regime, stressing that every Ivorian has a positive role to play in the country’s future. At his request, several hundred people who left voluntarily, including senior officials of the Government of former President Laurent Gbagbo, have returned to Côte d’Ivoire, The Government of President Ouattara also continues to implement significant actions to reduce tensions with the former ruling party, the Front populaire ivoirien (FPI), by granting bail to those still detained and by unfreezing the bank accounts of associates of the former regime. In addition, a number of homes belonging to those associated with the former President and occupied by the Forces républicaines de Côte d’Ivoire (FRCI) since the post-election crisis, have been abandoned and returned to their owners. The process of strengthening the dialogue between the Government and the political opposition faces a number of challenges. As the report before the Council underscores, in April the Front populaire ivoirien stopped taking part in the dialogue with the Government, invoking the decision of the authorities to tгansfer the leader of the Young Patriots, Charles Blé Goudé, to the International Criminal Court at The Hague. The FPI has also called on its militants to no longer participate in the national processes, such as the public hearings of the the Commission on Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation and the population census currently under way. That said, I am pleased to report that significant progress has been made in the political dialogue, including in the discussions to identify and to draw up, by mutual agreement among the parties, a list of the associates of the former regime in detention and the bank accounts that are still frozen. Formal dialogue between the Government and the FPI was resumed on 22 May. That resumption of dialogue was followed by the publication of a joint statement in which the Government announced the provisional release of 150 people close to the former regime. Although the resumption of dialogue is a very positive development, some human rights defence organizations expressed concern that the decision to release those detainees following political discussions could indicate a lack of separation between executive and judiciary powers. The presidential election in October 2015 is on the horizon, and the political environment is fluid. Four figures, including President Ouattara, have announced their candidacies, and the process of establishing a legal framework for the election is ongoing. On 20 May, the National Assembly adopted a draft law amending the composition of the Independent Electoral Commission, which will now have 17 commissioners who will represent the President of the Republic, the President of the National Assembly, the ruling coalition, the political opposition and civil society. It is important to note that the members of the Independent Electoral Commission themselves will elect the President of the Commission. Several opposition parties have expressed reservations about the composition of the Independent Electoral Commission, and, in the context of the continuation of this process, it is important that all parties work together to agree on the rules and operating procedures of the body as well as other necessary measures to ensure the transparent and inclusive nature of the electoral process. Promoting a culture of respect for human rights is essential for the success of the national reconciliation process. That requires immediate measures aimed at ending impunity by bringing to justice perpetrators of violations of human rights, regardless of their political affiliation. Important steps have been made in that direction, with, for example, the extension and strengthening of the mandate of the special unit responsible for investigating post-election violence in a fair and impartial manner. There are still challenges, however, and the Government continues to work on them, in particular justice, dozos and the Forces républicaines de Côte d’Ivoire. Although the security situation has improved considerably since 2011, armed robberies, banditry and other criminal activities continue to contribute to instability throughout the country. Significant challenges remain in the west of the country, where some people still have claims in the areas of land tenure and nationality, which are issues related to the root causes of the Ivorian crisis. The national police and gendarmerie are not sufficiently deployed or do not have the equipment necessary to maintain order and enforce the law in many communities in the west of the country. Some FRCI personnel responsible for ensuring security in those areas have marred their legitimacy after acts of extortion and armed robbery that were committed against the very people they were supposed to protect. At the same time, there is a strong commitment on the part of the highest authorities of the Government to promoting security sector reform. However, some people’s lack of confidence in the national security institutions limits the possibilities of effective democratic control of the sector, which is a threat to the country’s consolidation of stability. In several areas, dozos, who are traditional hunters, perform security tasks and have, on many occasions, committed acts of violations of human rights. The Government continues to encourage dozos to return to their traditional activities and is working to establish an appropriate legal framework for the management of the issue. Restoring public security throughout the country, which is an immediate priority, requires significant advances in the field of professionalizing defence and security forces through reforms designed to increase their legitimacy and effectiveness while including the participation of women in security institutions. President Ouattara has set his Government the ambitious goal of disarming all ex-combatants before the end of June 2015. There has been significant progress; to date, 30,000 of the 70,000 ex-combatants identified have received support from the Government or the United Nations for their reintegration. With additional support from other partners, the Government should be able to achieve the goal of concluding the process of inclusive disarmament by offering all ex- combatants opportunities for sustainable reintegration before the 2015 elections. After a year marked by a general calm in the border areas with Liberia, there were two attacks against Forces républicaines de Côte d’Ivoire positions in western Côte d’Ivoire. During the last attack, the assailants expelled the FRCI from a village called Fete, exposing the population to unspeakable brutality. United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) troops intervened immediately, exchanged gunfire with the attackers, ousted them from the village and released the people. By that time, the attackers had already killed and maimed three soldiers and 10 civilians, including two children. I am proud to say that our troops have responded with bravery, even when they were directly exposed to enemy fire, which shows their strong commitment to protecting civilians. We are investigating the attack to determine if its perpetrators had crossed the Liberian border to enter into Ivorian territory. It is important to learn more about the identity of the attackers and their motives in order to prevent such attacks in the future. Our initial assessment is that such attacks highlight, on the one hand, the need to make further progress in the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and, on the other hand, the importance for Côte d’Ivoire to have professional security forces capable of better protecting civilian populations. We are also working with the United Nations Mission in Liberia to strengthen our cooperation. We are on the verge of finalizing a new strategic framework. Among our priorities, and in order to support our respective national partners, we are looking at how we can contribute to the strengthening of national capacities to better secure the borders. Strengthening security cooperation between the two Governments has contributed significantly to improving security in the border areas. In that regard, it is equally important to encourage the efforts made to empower local communities and include traditional leaders, youth and women in initiatives designed to promote stability, in the light of the close family and historical ties between the peoples living on both sides of the border. We also encourage the implementation of the transborder security strategy developed by the Mano River Union and endorsed by the Economic Community of West African States. UNOCI has restructured its military component and has consolidated its presence in the west and other high- risk areas, in accordance with the Security Council’s request. Since the end of December 2013, national security institutions are now entirely responsible for the security of senior Government officials and other political figures. At the end of May, we completed the withdrawal of 1,700 troops, pursuant to resolution 2112 (2013). Those reductions in military personnel were possible because of the significant progress made, which we welcome. However, we are aware that the upcoming elections in 2015 will be an important step for the country and will be conducted in a sensitive environment. It is therefore important, as recommended by the Secretary-General, to adopt a cautious approach with respect to the upcoming force reduction. However, we are striving to do more with less and believe, therefore, that it will be entirely possible to implement our mandate while further reducing the number of troops by 1,100. Our vision regarding the use of our uniformed personnel during the election period is based on a new concept of mobility for operations, which is aimed at strengthening the capacity of our combat forces. The key to implementing the new concept of operations will be the creation, within UNOCI, of a quick-reaction force that will help us to bridge the gap in some areas of the country where there is no permanent military presence. Mobility, including the ability to deploy helicopter elements, is essential to the success of that project. In May, UNOCI organized a series of military exercises designed to develop the capacity to respond within 12 hours to any emergency situation anywhere in Côte d’Ivoire. In addition, the United Nations police is working closely with national partners to find ways to support the development of key strategic priorities such as security checks, training and mentoring for the national police and gendarmerie. The objective is to prepare them to resume their traditional role of policing and strengthening the rule of law in Côte d’Ivoire. One of UNOCI’s main concerns remains the restoration of confidence between the Ivorian people and the security forces in order to achieve a lasting peace. To achieve that goal, the security forces must meet standard norms in terms of professionalism and ethics. Our police forces will continue to provide second-string support to national law enforcement, which is a particularly important role in some areas of the country where there is no military presence, and during the electoral period. Peacekeeping is a unique partnership, a collaborative effort for the cause of peace. I would like to conclude by expressing my sincere gratitude for the effective partnership that we have established. The Council, the Secretariat, UNOCI, our troops and troop- and police-contributing countries and the United Nations country team all work closely with the people and Government of Côte d’Ivoire, and we support them in their efforts to build a lasting peace.

I thank Ms. Mindaoudou for her briefing. I now give the floor to the representative of Côte d’Ivoire.

Since this is the first time my delegation has taken the floor during your presidency, Sir, I am pleased to extend to you our sincere congratulations on the occasion of your great country, the Russian Federation, assuming the presidency of the Security Council for the month of June. My delegation takes note of the excellent report of the Secretary-General (S/2014/342) of 15 May 2014 and thanks the Special Representative of the Secretary- General for Côte d’Ivoire, Ms. Aïchatou Mindaoudou, for her briefing on the situation in Côte d’Ivoire. I must say that my delegation fully shares the view of the situation in Côte d’Ivoire she has just provided, and I would like at this stage to make a few brief remarks to buttress that shared perspective. I note with satisfaction and welcome the exemplary cooperation that characterizes the relations between my country and the United Nations, in particular through the presence of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI). The remarkable advances that Côte d’Ivoire has seen since the end of the crisis it experienced have been a result, in particular, of how excellent those relations are. Indeed, we note that UNOCI has spared no effort in supporting Côte d’Ivoire in its various post- crisis reconstruction projects. In terms of security, the situation remains broadly stable, and security sector reform is accelerating, as is disarmament, demobilization and reintegration. That led, on 1 May, as noted in the report, to the disarmament and demobilization of 22,590 ex-combatants. Political dialogue is ongoing and is taking place in a responsible manner. In that respect, the United Nations facilitation, in particular that of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, has proven very valuable. The national reconciliation process has been successfully relaunched following the renewal of the mandate of the Commission on Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation. Economically, growth is increasing, and the Government intends to focus on the fight against poverty in order to make that economic growth more inclusive. We are please to be able to corroborate that the good results in various areas that are mentioned in the report of the Secretary-General are a result of that exemplary cooperation. I would also like to highlight that my Government’s constructive cooperation with the Security Council has led, after a transparent review of the sanctions regime in Côte d’Ivoire, to the lifting of the embargo on diamonds produced in Côte d’Ivoire and the partial lifting of the arms embargo, in accordance with resolution 2153 (2014) adopted on 29 April. All those positive developments have supported the return of normalcy and stability in Côte d’Ivoire, and that is why my delegation fully endorses the plan to progressively reduce UNOCI’s military contingents, as proposed in the relevant paragraphs of the Secretary- General’s report on the issue. It is evident that, given all those developments, the main challenge remains the consolidation of a stable security situation, in particular given the upcoming elections in 2015. In that regard, the President of the Republic, His Excellency Mr. Alassane Ouattara, and his Government are focusing all necessary efforts on the elections being held in a peaceful climate in order to ensure lasting stability in Côte d’Ivoire. In conclusion, and given all the foregoing, I would like to state that my delegation supports the renewal of UNOCI’s mandate, is very interested in the project to create a regional quick-reaction force, as mentioned in paragraphs 68, 69, and 70 of the Secretary-General’s report, and supports their effective implementation.

There are no further speakers on the list. I now invite Council members to informal consultations to continue our discussion on the subject.