UN OPERATION IN COTE D'IVOIRE: MANDATE RENEWAL

UNCLAS STATE 081508

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL KPKO MARR UNSC IC
SUBJECT: UN OPERATION IN COTE D'IVOIRE: MANDATE RENEWAL

REF: STATE 78865


1. The UN Security Council is scheduled to vote on July
30 on a resolution extending the mandate of the UN
Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI). USUN is authorized to
vote in favor of the resolution. The draft text is in
paragraph 2. If any substantive change in the text is
proposed, mission should seek guidance.


2. Begin text:

The Security Council,
Recalling its previous resolutions, in particular
resolutions 1739 (2007),1765 (2007) and 1795 (2008),and
the statements of its President relating to the situation
in Cote d'Ivoire, and resolution 1777 (2007) on the
situation in Liberia,

Reaffirming its strong commitment to the sovereignty,
independence, territorial integrity and unity of Cote d'
Ivoire, and recalling the importance of the principles of
good-neighbourliness, non-interference and regional
cooperation,

Recalling that it endorsed the Agreement signed by
President Laurent Gbagbo and Mr. Guillaume Soro in
Ouagadougou on 4 March 2007 ("the Ouagadougou political
Agreement" S/2007/144),and the following Supplementary
Agreements, as recommended by the African Union,

Recalling that it welcomed the announcement by the Ivorian
authorities of the organization on 30 November 2008 of the
first round of the presidential elections (S/PRST/2008/11)
and that it encouraged the Ivorian parties to redouble
their efforts to meet this commitment, and the
international community to bring continued support to this
effect,

Expressing again its appreciation to President Blaise
Compaore of Burkina Faso ("the Facilitator") for his
continued efforts to support the peace process in Cote d'
Ivoire, in particular through the Ouagadougou political
Agreement follow-up mechanisms, commending and encouraging
the continued efforts of the African Union and the
Economic Community of West African States ("ECOWAS") to
promote peace and stability in Cote d'Ivoire, and
reiterating its full support for them,

Stressing again the importance of the international
consultative organ participating in the meetings of the
evaluation and monitoring committee, as an observer, and
recalling that it may be consulted at any time by the
Facilitator,

Reiterating its strong condemnation of any attempt to
destabilize the peace process by force, and expressing its
intention to examine without delay the situation after any
such attempt, on the basis of a report by the
Secretary-General,

Having taken note of the report of the Secretary-General
dated 10 July 2008 (S/2008/451),

Noting with concern, in spite of the sustained improvement
of the overall human rights situation, the persistence of
cases of human rights violations against civilians,
including numerous acts of sexual violence, stressing that
the perpetrators must be brought to justice, and
reiterating its firm condemnation of all violations of
human rights and international humanitarian law in Cote d'
Ivoire,

Recalling its resolution 1612 (2005) on children and armed
conflict and the subsequent conclusions of the Security
Council Working Group on Children and Armed Conflict
pertaining to parties in the armed conflict of Cote
d'Ivoire (S/AC.51/2008/5),

Recalling also its resolutions 1325 (2000) and 1820 (2008)
on women, peace and security, and its resolution 1674
(2006) on the protection of civilians in armed conflict,
condemning any sexual violence, and encouraging the
Secretary-General to mainstream a gender perspective in
the implementation of UNOCI's mandate,

Emphasizing the importance of the continuing support of
the United Nations system and the international community
for strengthening the capacity of the Government of Cote d'
Ivoire and of the electoral bodies to organize the
electoral process

Determining that the situation in Cote d'Ivoire continues
to pose a threat to international peace and security in
the region,

Acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United
Nations,


1. Decides to renew the mandates of the United Nations
Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI) and of the French
forces which support it, as determined in resolution 1739
(2007),until 31 January 2009, in particular to support
the organization in Cote d'Ivoire of free, open, fair and
transparent elections;


2. Requests UNOCI, within its existing resources and
mandate, to support the full implementation of the
Ouagadougou political Agreement and its Supplementary
Agreements, and in particular to contribute to bringing
the security needed by the peace process and by the
electoral process and to provide logistical support to the
Independent Electoral Commission for the preparation and
the holding of the elections;


3. Strongly encourages the Defense and Security Force of
Cote d'Ivoire and the Forces nouvelles to jointly develop
a comprehensive plan for the security of the elections, in
close coordination with the Facilitator, with the
technical and logistical support of UNOCI which is
supported by the French forces;


4. Encourages the Ivorian parties to make further
concrete progress, in particular in removing the remaining
logistical obstacles that impede the identification of the
population, the registration of voters, the disarmament
and dismantling of militias, the cantonment and
disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme,
the unification and restructuring of defence and security
forces and the restoration of State authority throughout
the country;


5. Urges the political parties to comply fully with the
Code of Good Conduct for elections which they signed under
the auspices of the Secretary-General, and in particular
urges the Ivorian authorities to allow equitable access to
public media;


6. Calls upon all concerned parties to ensure that the
protection of women and children is addressed in the
implementation of the Ouagadougou political Agreement as
well as the post-conflict reconstruction and recovery
phases, including continued monitoring and reporting of
the situation of women and children;


7. Stresses the importance of ensuring the equal
protection of and respect for human rights of every
Ivorian as they relate to the electoral system, and in
particular of removing obstacles and challenges to women's
participation and full involvement in public-life;


8. Invites the signatories of the Ouagadougou political
Agreement to take the necessary steps to protect
vulnerable civilian populations, including by guaranteeing
the voluntary return, reinstallation, reintegration and
security of displaced persons, with the support of the
United Nations system, and to fulfill in this regard their
commitments in accordance with the Ouagadougou political
Agreement and their obligations under international
humanitarian law;


9. Expresses its intention to review by 31 January 2009
the mandates of UNOCI and the French forces which support
it, as well as the level of troops of UNOCI, in the light
of the progress achieved in the implementation of the key
steps of the peace process and of the progress of the
electoral process, and requests the Secretary-General to
provide to it a report in this regard three weeks before
this date, including some benchmarks for a possible phased
drawdown of the troop levels of UNOCI, taking into
consideration the electoral process and the situation on
the ground and in particular the security conditions;


10. Reiterates its full support to the efforts of the
Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Cote d'
Ivoire, recalls that he shall certify that all stages of
the electoral process provide all the necessary guarantees
for the holding of open, free, fair and transparent
presidential and legislative elections in accordance with
international standards and reaffirms its support to the
five-criteria framework elaborated by the Special
Representative and referred to in document S/2008/250;


11. Recalls that the publication of the electoral list is
a crucial step in the electoral process, calls upon the
Independent Electoral Commission, the technical operators,
the authorities of Cote d'Ivoire and the political parties
to redouble their efforts in this regard and requests the
Special Representative of the Secretary-General to certify
it explicitly;


12. Welcomes the financial assistance provided by donors
to the Independent Electoral Commission, which made it
possible to finance the electoral process;


13. Calls upon the donors to increase in particular their
financial support to the cantonment, disarmament and
reintegration of former combatants and militia and to the
redeployment of State authority throughout the country;


14. Commends the Representative of the Secretary-General
for his efforts to facilitate the reinsertion of former
combatants through the launching of one thousand micro
projects, and encourages donors to contribute to their
financing;


15. Requests the Secretary-General to continue to take the
necessary measures to ensure full compliance in UNOCI with
the United Nations zero-tolerance policy on sexual
exploitation and abuses and to keep the Council informed,
and urges troop-contributing countries to take appropriate
preventive action including predeployment awareness
training, and other action, including disciplinary action
as appropriate, to ensure full accountability in cases of
such conduct involving their personnel;


16. Recalls the importance of the provisions of the
Ouagadougou political Agreement and of the Supplementary
Agreements, including paragraph 8.1 of the Ouagadougou
political Agreement and paragraphs 8 and 9 of
Supplementary Agreement number 3, and urges the Ivorian
political forces to rely on the mediation by the
Facilitator, for any major difficulty concerning the
electoral process;


17. Commends the Facilitator for continuing to support the
process to settle the crisis in Cote d'Ivoire, and
requests UNOCI to continue to assist him and his Special
Representative in Abidjan, Mr. Boureima Badini, in the
conduct of the facilitation, including by helping the
Facilitator, as appropriate and upon his request, to carry
out his arbitration role according to the provisions of
paragraph 8.1 of the Ouagadougou political Agreement and
paragraphs 8 and 9 of Supplementary Agreement number 3;


18. Requests the Secretary-General to keep it regularly
informed of the situation and of the preparation of the
electoral process, including the process of the
establishment of the electoral list, and notably by
providing to it a report in this regard no later than 15
October 2008;


19. Decides to remain actively seized of the matter.

End text.
RICE