COTE D'IVOIRE: FINAL NUMBERS FROM PILOT ID PROGRAM

UNCLAS ABIDJAN 000613 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL ASEC KPKO IV SUBJECT: COTE D'IVOIRE: FINAL NUMBERS FROM PILOT ID PROGRAM REF: ABIDJAN 583 ¶1. (U) The Ivorian government announced the official figures for the pilot identification process which ended on May 27. The official figures are: 5003 applicants were interviewed, 3907 birth certificates were granted, and 3137 certificates of nationality were approved. The analysis of the pilot identification program was part of the agenda for the May 31 meeting of the Council of Ministers. The results were reported on June 6 along with other agenda items. ¶2. (SBU) The official figures differ somewhat from the figures compiled by the UN. According to sources at the UN, a total of 3920 birth certificates and 2949 certificates of nationality were approved out of 5284 interviewed candidates. In our opinion, the UN figures are more reliable due to regular, on-the-spot reporting from all seven sites during the pilot. The 5.6 percent difference between the official figures and the UN's internal numbers is likely due to the pilot ID process' complicated and completely non-automated nature. Hooks