S/PV.7459 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 procedure, I invite Ms. Aïchatou Mindaoudou Souleymane, Special Representative of the Secretary-General 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/2015/320, which contains the thirty-sixth progress 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 to thank you, Mr. President, for this opportunity to brief the Council today on the report of the Secretary- General on the situation in Côte d’Ivoire (S/2015/320), dated 7 May 2015, and to provide an update on major recent developments in the country, including those relating to the preparations for the presidential elections in October. Four months from now, the people of Côte d’Ivoire will go to the polls to choose their next president in an environment very different from that of 2010. Much has been accomplished since the election of October 2010. The country’s stability is gradually improving. The economy is growing and the people have been able to get on with their lives in a peaceful environment. While political disagreements remain, a national consensus on constructive dialogue continues to strengthen. However, some fringe radicals among the opposition are increasingly advocating for public demonstrations. Political dialogue between the Government and the opposition is progressing. During the talks on 29 January, concrete measures were taken to fund, on an exceptional basis, the opposition political parties that do not hold seats in the National Assembly. Political dialogue between the Government and the political opposition resumed on 26 May after a break of four months. Sixteen opposition political parties participated and discussions focused on important topics, including, in particular, the need to foster a calm political environment, creating conditions to support a credible electoral process, the return of exiles and the release of prisoners. The Government and the opposition political parties also decided to hold monthly meetings until the elections. It should be mentioned here that progress achieved in the political dialogue has helped to improve the security situation and foster stability in Côte d’Ivoire. The efforts by the Government and the opposition parties to maintain constructive dialogue are to be welcomed. It is important that this dialogue continues in order to create and sustain an environment conducive to holding a free and fair election. However, certain political stakeholders are still tempted to use inflammatory rhetoric. They must continue to be encouraged to act responsibly and comply fully with the law throughout the electoral period. Political posturing ahead of the upcoming presidential election has resulted in the reconfiguration of the political scene. For instance, the Front populaire ivoirien and the Parti démocratique de Côte d’Ivoire are experiencing a period of instability. Nonetheless, divergent viewpoints and political positions are mostly being expressed peacefully. I hope that that peaceful expression will continue because it is something that should mark any political process. In the exercise of my good offices mandate, I have attempted to persuade the Government and the political parties towards dialogue. I have also used my mandate to encourage people to support the efforts by the authorities to foster peace and stability throughout the country. To that end, initiatives to promote social cohesion and reconciliation, as well as peacebuilding initiatives in the various regions that have been supported by the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) and the United Nations country team, have been instrumental. For Côte d’Ivoire, the October presidential election is an important milestone in terms of consolidating the achievements of recent years. In preparations for that election, the electoral code was an amended and adopted on 2 April. Voter registration in over 2,000 centres was launched on 1 June, and should be finalized by 30 June. The final voter list should be ready by 31 August. As Head of the United Nations system in Côte d’Ivoire, I have ensured enhanced coordination with international partners and the Independent Electoral Commission as part of United Nations support to the Government in terms of the electoral process. The process to provide reparations to victims of the 2010-2011 post-election crisis has been launched. The Government has also started to implement some of the key recommendations set out in the final document of the Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation Commission, even though that report was not published. On 24 March, the Government announced the establishment of the National Commission for the Reconciliation and Compensation of Victims, which aims to register all unlisted victims of the successive crises in Côte d’Ivoire since 1990. The Commmision’s executive body, the National Programme for Social Cohesion, will implement the reparations process. It will be important for it to ensure that the compensation of victims is an inclusive process. With regard to the fight against impunity, perceptions of one-sided justice remain a topic of discussion among Ivoirians, even though investigations into serious crimes committed during the 2010-2011 post-election crisis are currently being undertaken by the Special Investigation and Examination Cell. I encourage the Government of Côte d’Ivoire to continue and complete its investigations so as to bring to justice all those who have been recognized as being guilty of human rights violations and abuses, regardless of their political affiliation, as that will greatly contribute to healing past wounds and fostering reconciliation. The first mechanism to enhance gender parity in all State institutions, the National Council for Women, has been launched. This development is a very timely one during this electoral year, as the Council could play a key role in encouraging greater participation by women at all levels of decision-making, including in politics. I also commend the work carried out by the committee of national experts on conflict-related sexual violence, which, with the Forces républicaines de Côte d’Ivoire (FRCI), has continued its activities to raise awareness of human rights and international humanitarian law. However, I remain concerned about frequent reports of gender-based violence and harmful traditional practices, such as female genital mutilation. I hope that those issues will be concretely addressed in the implementation of the national strategy on gender- based violence. As for security, the Government has made headway in addressing outstanding grievances by FRCI elements following their protests in November 2014. It has constructed barracks and paid salaries retroactively. As for reforms, the National Assembly adopted the law on the organization of the national defence and the Ivoirian armed forces on 9 March. This is an important step towards the professionalization of the FRCI and building public trust in national defence institutions. UNOCI will continue to support the Government in its implementation of the necessary reforms. I commend the Government’s continued efforts to improve the gender balance in the Gendamerie, with the inclusion of female trainees. With the presidential elections approaching, however, the lack of equipment among Ivoirian law enforcement and security institutions responsible for maintaining public order is a matter of some concern, as calls into question their operational capability to control crowds in a democratically appropriate manner. The Government of Côte d’Ivoire has set 30 June as the deadline for completing the process to disarm 64,000 former combatants. Both the Government and UNOCI have intensified awareness-raising activities, and the number of former combatants enrolled in the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) process has increased significantly in recent months. Support will be needed beyond the closure of the DDR programme in June, as a significant number of former combatants will still be in the process of reintegration, which is expected to continue until January 2016. UNOCI will continue to provide technical and programmatic support to the Authority on Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration in order to formulate a viable road map for pro-post June 2015 activities. The security situation has remained stable with an overall downward trend in criminal activities. No major incidents have been reported since my last briefing to the Council (see S/PV.7358). Having said that, armed robberies and banditry continue to pose a security challenge for the country. Demonstrations and strikes have also been organized by university lecturers, schoolteachers and public health workers, as well as by students, during the reporting period. Negotiations between the trade unions and the Government led to a cessation of strikes. During the quadripartite meeting on 10 March — between the Governments of Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia, UNOCI and the United Nations Mission in Liberia — both Governments acknowledged improvements in the security situation on the border. Bilateral cooperation has been strengthened with the resumption of quadripartite and tripartite meetings. Now that Liberia has been declared Ebola-free, borders have been reopened, which has promoted cross-border activities. Concerning the UNOCI force and police, pursuant to resolution 2162 (2014), UNOCI will reduce its military strength to 5,430 troops and its police component to 1,500 personnel. The operational capability of the force has been enhanced by the 650-strong quick response force, which is now fully operational and which will enable us to assist UNMIL in the implementation of its mandate and to respond to any emergency situations in Liberia. As a result, with the aid of our aviation assets, we are now able to deploy 100 troops anywhere within Côte d’Ivoire within 12 hours. I would like to take this opportunity to convey my appreciation to the members of the Council for the support they have lent us in finalizing the establishment of the quick response force as required pursuant to the mandate. The more mobile, agile and flexible posture, which today characterizes the force, has already demonstrated in its effectiveness and enabled us to respond in a timely way to threats against civilians like those seen in recent months in the western border areas. On the eve of the renewal of the UNOCI mandate, I am confident and optimistic about the future of Côte d’Ivoire. However, we must remain vigilant. In a few months, Côte d’Ivoire will organize the very first elections following those of 2010. They will be decisive for the country. The renewal of the UNOCI mandate at this crucial juncture will be important to again demonstrate the desire of the international community to consolidate the achievements and assist the country in turning a page after the 2010 post-election crisis. The creation of a peaceful and enabling environment in the lead-up to, during and after the presidential elections will also require advancing the level of political dialogue in the areas of the disarmament process, security sector reform, justice, reparations for victims and the return of refugees. In that regard, the combined support of the Security Council, Member States, international and regional partners, the United Nations and its team in Côte d’Ivoire remain essential to ensure that Côte d’Ivoire can move forward towards the finalization of all of those key processes. I would once again like to thank the Council for its invaluable support and its very useful guidelines for implementing the UNOCI mandate.

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

At the outset, as this is the first time that I take the floor in the Security Council as the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire to the United Nations, allow me to thank you, Mr. President, and the organ that you lead for the sustained attention paid to my country since the difficult situation that we have had to deal with in the past few years. My delegation welcomes the Secretary-General’s report (S/2015/320), which underscores the tremendous progress made in Côte d’Ivoire since the accession of His Excellency Mr. Alassane Ouattara to the country’s presidency, the specific effects of which can be seen today in a normalized political situation and a healthy, growing economy. National reconciliation, as indicated in the report, displays fresh dynamism through the political dialogue with the opposition. Social cohesion is gradually being strengthened. The security index has significantly improved, and is comparable today to that of a normal country. The process of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, which is drawing to a conclusion, has one of the best implementation rates. That is why I would like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude to Ms. Aichatou Mindaoudou, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Côte d’Ivoire, for the outstanding work that she has achieved on the ground in cooperation with the Ivorian authorities. Of course, a number of challenges remain, as noted in the report, and the Government has been doing its best to resolve them. Despite the progress in the area of security, the Ivorian Government recognizes the importance of tirelessly continuing our efforts. The same could be said with regard to meeting social demands and with regard to the need for national reconciliation. The highlight of political life this year in Côte d’Ivoire will be the general elections, to be held in accordance with the Ivorian Constitution. The elections will mark a crucial step in the transition towards stability and peace. The successful completion of the elections therefore will be a major challenge for the Ivorian Government, and in that respect we are paying close attention to the effort. The Government wishes to see the holding of free, transparent and inclusive elections, which will require the support of the international community, especially the support of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI). In that respect, my delegation requests an extension of the UNOCI mission and a broadening of its mandate to include logistical support for the electoral process as proposed in the Secretary-General’s report. Assistance to the Ivorian Government for successful elections will mark a decisive step towards the successful completion of the enormous achievements obtained by UNOCI before its full withdrawal in early 2017. In conclusion, my delegation would like to reiterate the Ivorian Government’s gratitude to the Security Council for its commitment to fully cooperate in the success of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire.

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