Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ABIDJAN83
2009-02-04 07:14:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Abidjan
Cable title:  

UPDATE ON THE IVOIRIAN NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS

Tags:  PHUM PREL PGOV IV 
pdf how-to read a cable
P 040714Z FEB 09
FM AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4892
INFO ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
UNCLAS ABIDJAN 000083 


STATE FOR DRL, AF/RSA, AF/W

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV IV
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON THE IVOIRIAN NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS
COMMISSION

REF: 08 ABIDJAN 638


UNCLAS ABIDJAN 000083


STATE FOR DRL, AF/RSA, AF/W

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV IV
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON THE IVOIRIAN NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS
COMMISSION

REF: 08 ABIDJAN 638



1. (U) On January 22, Poloff met with President Victorine
Wodie and Executive Secretary Dr. Gervais Boga of the
National Human Rights Commission (CNDHCI) to discuss the
commission's activities since it officially began work in
July 2008. Wodie explained that the real work of the
commission will begin in 2009, because the commission was
busy in 2008 setting up its offices, drafting regulations
governing the organization, and securing salaries for both
the executive committee and commissioners. That said, CNDHCI
did manage to accomplish several key steps in 2008.


2. (U) First, CNDHCI's initial draft of its 2007-2008
report has been reviewed and is expected to be ready for
publication in February. Second, the commission has created
subcommissions to deal with specific human rights issues,
including prison conditions, teacher strikes, toxic waste
victims, and community conflicts, to name a few. Regional
commission members have also been assigned to each of the
country's 19 regions. On the budget front, Wodie has more or
less resolved the salary issue, and the five Executive
Committee members are now receiving salaries. The remainder
of the commissioners are also now beginning to see their
allowances go into effect.


3. (U) The commission's hotline and executive office
telephone numbers, which were widely publicized in
newspapers, have kept phones ringing off the hook as
Ivoirians have called in to report human rights abuses. To
date, the commission has recorded 252 reported cases of human
rights violations. Wodie attributes the number of phone
calls to the high expectations the Ivoirian public has
regarding the commission. She attributes this in part to the
commission's success in resolving some cases simply by making
phone calls and/or getting directly involved in cases.


4. (U) Wodie reiterated that many of her commissioners, who
are not human rights experts, still require training. She
said she would try to pursue greater collaboration and
cooperation with the UN Human Rights Division on this front.
(Note: Embassy Abidjan arranged with the VOLVIS program in
Washington for two CNDHCI members to meet with human rights
organizations in the U.S. in November 2008).


NESBITT