CÔTE D'IVOIRE: Adopting Resolution 2112 (2013), Security Council Extends Mandate Of Operation In Côte D'ivoire Until 30 June 2014, Focusing Resources In High-Risk Areas

NEW YORK, July 31, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — Reduction of Military Set for Next Year, Possible Further Drawdowns in 2015

The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) by 11 months, until 30 June 2014, deciding to reconfigure its uniformed personnel by that time and consider possible further reductions based on the evolution of security conditions on the ground.

Unanimously adopting resolution 2112 (2013), the 15-nation body decided on the reconfiguration of the Operation's military presence to concentrate resources in high-risk areas in order to assist the Government in protecting civilians and stabilizing the country. UNOCI's police component would remain at 1,555 personnel and the customs officers at the previously authorized team of eight.

By the end of UNOCI's new mandate, it would consist of up to 7,137, comprising 6,945 troop and staff officers, as well as 192 military observers. A further reduction to 5,437 military personnel or less by 30 June 2015 would be considered based on the security situation, as well as on the Government's capacity to gradually take over the Operation's role in that regard.

UNOCI's mandate, according to the text, would include protection of civilians as a priority and supporting the Ivorian Government with the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process, weapons collection, security sector reform and, among others, monitoring of the arms embargo and supporting compliance with international humanitarian and human rights law, with special attention to abuses and violations committed against children and women.

The Council also decided that the mission's task of providing security for Government officials and key political figures would be wholly transferred to the Ivorian authorities by 31 December.

The Secretary-General was asked to review the mandate by analysing its comparative advantages alongside those of the United Nations country team and to include in his midterm report recommendations and a matrix showing the division of labour between the two, with a view to transfer to the country team those tasks where it had a comparative advantage or to the Government, where appropriate.

Following the vote, the representative of Pakistan expressed concern over the accelerated pace of military drawdown, which, he went, would go beyond the Secretary-General's recommendation to progressively reduce the Operation by two battalions by mid-2015. He argued that due consideration should be given to a field technical assessment in February, on which the Secretary-General based his recommendation. With presidential elections coming up in 2015, the faster drawdown might “send a wrong signal” to those intending to undermine the country's gains.

The meeting began at 10:07 a.m. and ended at 10:13 a.m.

The full text of resolution 2112 (2013) reads as follows:

“The Security Council,

“Recalling its previous resolutions, in particular resolutions 1933 (2010), 1942 (2010), 1951 (2010), 1962 (2010), 1967 (2011), 1968 (2011), 1975 (2011), 1980 (2011), 1981 (2011), 1992 (2011), 2000 (2011), 2062 (2012) and 2101 (2013) and the statements of its President relating to the situation in Côte d'Ivoire, resolution 2066 (2012) on the situation in Liberia and resolution 2100 (2013) on the situation in Mali,

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

“Taking note of the final report of the Secretary-General of 26 June 2013 (S/2013/377) and the special report of the Secretary-General of 28 March 2013 (S/2013/197),

“Welcoming the overall progress towards restoring security, peace and stability in Côte d'Ivoire, commending President Alassane Ouattara's continued efforts to stabilize the security situation and accelerate economic recovery in Côte d'Ivoire and strengthen international and regional cooperation, notably enhanced cooperation with the Governments of Ghana and Liberia, and calling upon all national stakeholders to work together to consolidate the progress made so far and to address the underlying causes of tension and conflict,

“Welcoming the successful holding of the regional and municipal elections on 21 April 2013 while regretting the decision of the former ruling party and other political opposition parties to boycott them, and emphasizing that this process demonstrated the increasing capacity of the national authorities, including the security forces, to assume responsibility for organizing and safeguarding the voting process,

“Welcoming the return of the majority of persons displaced by the post-elections crisis to their places of origin in Côte d'Ivoire, as well as President Alassane Ouattara's calls on refugees to return to the country, affirming that refugee returns should be voluntary and occur under conditions of safety and dignity, strongly condemning all intimidation, threats and attacks committed against refugees, returnees and internally displaced persons in Côte d'Ivoire, and further condemning the cross-border attacks in March 2013 which resulted in the temporary displacement of an estimated 8,000 persons, including 500 to Liberia,

“Recalling that the Government of Côte d'Ivoire bears primary responsibility for ensuring peace, stability and the protection of the civilian population in Côte d'Ivoire,

“Noting the improvement in the security situation in Côte d'Ivoire while remaining concerned about its continued fragility, in particular along the border with Liberia,

“Reiterating its concern with the unresolved key challenges of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR) and security sector reform (SSR), as well as the continued circulation of weapons, which continue to pose risks to the security and stability of the country, particularly in western Côte d'Ivoire,

“Emphasizing the urgent need for the Government to accelerate the training and equipping of its security forces, especially the police and gendarmerie with standard policing weapons and ammunition,

“Expressing its concern about the continued reports, including those reported by the Secretary-General in his report of 26 June 2013 (S/2013/377), of human rights abuses and violations of international humanitarian law, including against women and children and the reports of increased incidents of sexual violence in particular those attributed to armed men, stressing the importance of investigating such alleged violations and abuses, including those that occurred throughout the post-elections crisis committed by all parties, irrespective of their status or political affiliation, reaffirming that those responsible for such violations must be held accountable and brought to justice irrespective of their political affiliation, while respecting the rights of those in detention and while acknowledging President Alassane Ouattara's commitments in this regard, urging the Government to increase and expedite its efforts to combat impunity,

“Reiterating the vital role of women in conflict resolution and peacebuilding, the importance of their equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for the maintenance and promotion of peace and security and their key role in re-establishing the fabric of societies recovering from conflict, and further reaffirming the importance of implementing the Côte d'Ivoire National Action Plan for the implementation of resolution 1325 (2000) adopted in 2008,

“Taking note that, on the basis of the declaration lodged by Côte d'Ivoire accepting the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, the Pre-Trial Chamber authorized the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to open an investigation into crimes within the Court's jurisdiction committed in Côte d'Ivoire since 28 November 2010, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, and the Pre-Trial Chamber of the Court later decided to expand the Prosecutors' investigation to crimes committed in Côte d'Ivoire since 19 September 2002,

“Taking note of the ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court by Côte d'Ivoire on 15 February 2013,

“Commending the contribution of troop- and police-contributing countries and donors to the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), underlining the importance of providing police officers qualified with appropriate specialist and linguistic skills, commending the work of UNOCI, under the leadership of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, for its continuing contribution to maintaining peace and stability in Côte d'Ivoire, and noting with satisfaction the continued and increased cooperation between the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) and UNOCI, as well as the Governments of Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia and countries in the subregion, in coordinating security activities in the border areas in the subregion,

“Expressing its appreciation for the work of Mr. Albert Gerard Koenders as Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire and Head of UNOCI, and welcoming the appointment of his successor, Mrs. Aïchatou Mindaoudou Souleymane,

“Commending the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for their efforts to consolidate peace and stability in Côte d'Ivoire, and encouraging them to continue to support the Ivorian authorities in addressing key challenges, especially the underlying causes of conflict and insecurity in the border area, including the movement of armed elements and weapons, and promoting justice and national reconciliation,

“Determining that the situation in Côte 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 extend until 30 June 2014 the mandate of UNOCI;

“2. Decides that UNOCI's uniformed personnel shall be reconfigured by 30 June 2014 so that UNOCI shall consist of up to 7,137 military personnel, comprising 6,945 troop and staff officers as well and 192 military observers;

“3. Affirms its intention to consider a further reduction so that UNOCI shall consist of up to 5,437 military personnel by 30 June 2015, based on the evolution of security conditions on the ground and an improved capacity of the Government of Côte d'Ivoire to gradually take over UNOCI's security role;

“4. Decides that the authorized strength of UNOCI's police component shall remain at 1,555 personnel, and further decides to maintain the eight customs officers previously authorized;

“5. Decides that UNOCI shall reconfigure its military presence to concentrate resources in high-risk areas in order to implement effectively its mandate to assist the Government in protecting civilians and stabilizing the security situation in the country, including by increasing resources in western Côte d'Ivoire and other sensitive areas while reducing them elsewhere, where possible;

“6. Decides that the mandate of UNOCI shall be the following:

(a) Protection of civilians

– To protect, without prejudice to the primary responsibility of the Ivorian authorities, the civilian population from imminent threat of physical violence, within its capabilities and areas of deployment,

– To implement the comprehensive strategy for the protection of civilians in coordination with the United Nations Country Team (UNCT),

– To work closely with humanitarian agencies, particularly in relation to areas of tensions and with respect to the return of displaced persons, to collect information on and identify potential threats against the civilian population, and bring them to the attention of the Ivorian authorities as appropriate,

(b) Address remaining security threats and border-related challenges

– To support, within its existing authorities, capabilities, and its areas of deployment, the national authorities in stabilizing the security situation in the country,

– To monitor and deter the activities of militias, mercenaries and other illegal armed groups and to support the Government in addressing border security challenges consistent with its existing mandate to protect civilians, including cross-border security and other challenges in the border areas, notably with Liberia, and to this end, to coordinate closely with UNMIL in order to further inter-mission cooperation, such as through undertaking coordinated patrols and contingency planning where appropriate and within their existing mandates and capabilities,

– To liaise with the Forces Républicaines de Côte d'Ivoire (FRCI) in order to promote mutual trust among all elements composing the FRCI,

– To support the Ivorian authorities, as necessary, in the provision of security for members of the Government and key political stakeholders, until 31 December 2013, at which date this task shall be transferred wholly to the Ivorian security forces,

(c) Disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme (DDR) and collection of weapons

– To assist the Government, in close coordination with other bilateral and international partners, in implementing without further delay the new national programme for the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of former combatants and dismantling of militias and self-defence groups, taking into account rights and needs of the distinct categories of persons to be disarmed, demobilized and reintegrated, including children and women,

– To support the registration and screening of former combatants and assist in assessing and verifying the reliability of the listings of former combatants,

– To support the disarmament and repatriation of foreign armed elements, where relevant in cooperation with UNMIL and United Nations Country Teams in the region,

– To assist the national authorities, including the National Commission to fight against the Proliferation and Illicit Traffic of Small Arms and Light Weapons, in collecting, registering, securing and disposing of weapons and in clearing explosive remnants of war, as appropriate, in accordance with resolution 2101 (2013),

– To coordinate with the Government in ensuring that the collected weapons are not disseminated or re-utilized outside a comprehensive national security strategy, as referred to in point (d) below,

(d) Reconstitution and reform of security institutions

– To assist the Government in implementing, without delay and in close coordination with other international partners, its comprehensive national security strategy,

– To support the Government in providing effective, transparent and harmonized coordination of assistance, including the promotion of a clear division of tasks and responsibilities, by international partners to the security sector reform (SSR) process,

– To advise the Government, as appropriate, on security sector reform and the organization of the future National Army, to facilitate the provision of training, within its current resources and as requested by the Government and in close coordination with other international partners, in human rights, child protection and protection from sexual and gender-based violence to the security and law enforcement institutions, as well as capacity-building support by providing technical assistance, co-location and mentoring programmes for the police, gendarmerie, justice and corrections officers and to contribute to restoring their presence throughout Côte d'Ivoire and to offer support to the development of a sustainable vetting mechanism for personnel that will be absorbed into security sector institutions,

(e) Monitoring of the arms embargo

– To monitor the implementation of the measures imposed by paragraph 7 of resolution 1572 (2004), in cooperation with the Group of Experts established under resolution 1584 (2005), including by inspecting, as they deem it necessary and when appropriate without notice, all weapons, ammunition and related materiel regardless of location, consistent with resolution 2101 (2013),

– To collect, as appropriate, arms and any related materiel brought into Côte d'Ivoire in violation of the measures imposed by paragraph 7 of resolution 1572 (2004), and to dispose of such arms and related materiel as appropriate,

(f) Support for compliance with international humanitarian and human rights law

– To contribute to the promotion and protection of human rights in Côte d'Ivoire, with special attention to grave violations and abuses committed against children and women, notably sexual- and gender-based violence, in close coordination with the Independent Expert established under the Human Rights Council's resolution A/HRC/17/27,

– To monitor, help investigate, and report to the Council, on abuses and violations of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, including those against children in line with resolutions 1612 (2005), 1882 (2009), 1998 (2011) and 2068 (2012), in order to prevent such abuses and violations and to end impunity,

– To bring to the attention of the Council all individuals identified as perpetrators of serious human rights violations and to keep the Committee, established pursuant to resolution 1572 (2004), informed of any significant developments in this regard when appropriate,

– To support the efforts of the Government in combating sexual- and gender-based violence, including through contributing to the development of a nationally owned multisectoral strategy in cooperation with UN Action Against Sexual Violence in Conflict entities,

– To provide specific protection for women affected by armed conflict, including through the deployment of Women Protection Advisers, to ensure gender expertise and training, as appropriate and within existing resources, in accordance with resolutions 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009),1960 (2010) and 2106 (2013),

(g) Support humanitarian assistance

– To facilitate, as necessary, unhindered humanitarian access and to help strengthen the delivery of humanitarian assistance to conflict-affected and vulnerable populations, notably by contributing to enhancing security for its delivery,

– To support the Ivorian authorities in preparing for the voluntary, safe and sustainable return of refugees and internally displaced persons in cooperation with relevant humanitarian organizations, and in creating security conditions conducive to it,

(h) Public information

– To continue to use UNOCI's broadcasting capacity, through ONUCI FM, to contribute to the overall effort to create a peaceful environment, through the 2015 presidential elections,

– To monitor any public incidents of incitement to hatred, intolerance and violence, and bring to the attention of the Council all individuals identified as instigators of political violence, and to keep the Committee established under resolution 1572 (2004) informed of any significant developments in this regard, when appropriate,

(i) Redeployment of State administration and the extension of State authority throughout the country

– To support the Ivoirian authorities to extend effective State administration and strengthen public administration in key areas throughout the country, at the national and local level,

(j) Protection of United Nations personnel

– To protect United Nations personnel, installations and equipment, and ensure the security and freedom of movement of United Nations personnel,

“7. Authorizes UNOCI to use all necessary means to carry out its mandate, within its capabilities and its areas of deployment;

“8. Decides that the protection of civilians shall remain the priority of UNOCI, in accordance with paragraph 6 (a) above, and further decides that UNOCI shall put renewed focus on supporting the Government on DDR, collection of weapons and SSR, in accordance with paragraphs 6 (c) and (d) of this resolution, with the objective of gradually transitioning security responsibilities from UNOCI to the Government of Côte d'Ivoire;

“9. Encourages UNOCI and the UNCT to continue redeploying their field presence in order to enhance their coordinated support to the local authorities throughout Côte d'Ivoire, in areas where civilians are at greater risk, in western Côte d'Ivoire and other sensitive areas;

“10. Requests the Secretary-General to conduct a review of UNOCI's mandate by undertaking an analysis of the respective comparative advantages of UNOCI and the UNCT, and further requests the Secretary-General to report to the Council in his midterm report on its findings, including a detailed report and accompanying matrix reflecting the current division of labour between UNOCI and the UNCT, and recommendations, including for ONUCI-FM, pursuant to this review with a view to transfer to the UNCT those tasks where the UNCT has a comparative advantage or, where appropriate, to the Government, and expresses its intention to keep the mandate of UNOCI under review on the basis of this report;

“11. Noting with concern the limited progress made by the Government in implementing its national DDR programme while recognizing the initial steps taken following the establishment of the Authorité du DDR (ADDR), urges the Government to implement expeditiously the disarmament and demobilization of 30,000 former combatants by the end of 2013 and to complete the process by 2015 in accordance with the objective announced by President Alassane Ouattara of processing 65,000 former combatants and, in this regard, emphasizes the need to develop solutions for the sustained social and economic integration of former combatants, including former female combatants, and further encourages the UNCT to facilitate the planning and implementation of programmes which support this process, in consultation with UNOCI and the Government and in close collaboration with all international partners;

“12. Takes note of the endorsement by the Government of a national security sector reform strategy in September 2012, and urges the Government to accelerate the implementation of this strategy, with a view to setting up inclusive and accountable security forces with the support of UNOCI, as consistent with its mandate in paragraph 6 (d) of this resolution, and other interested international partners, to take further steps to increase confidence within the respective security and law enforcement agencies and between them, and to restore State authority throughout the country;

“13. Reiterates its call to the Government and all international partners, including private companies, involved in assisting the Government in the SSR process, to comply with the provisions of resolution 2101 (2013) and to coordinate their efforts with a view to promoting transparency and a clear division of labour between all international partners;

“14. Expresses its concern at the lack of progress in pursuing a national reconciliation strategy, and reemphasizes the urgent need for the adoption of concrete measures to promote justice and reconciliation at all levels and on all sides, including through the active involvement of women, civil society groups and the Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation Commission, with the aim of addressing the underlying causes of the Côte d'Ivoire crisis;

“15. Strongly urges the Government to ensure in the shortest possible timeframe that, irrespective of their status or political affiliation, all those responsible for serious abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law, including those committed during and after the post-electoral crisis in Côte d'Ivoire, are brought to justice in accordance with its international obligations and that all detainees receive clarity about their status in a transparent manner, and urges the Government to continue its cooperation with the International Criminal Court;

“16. Emphasizes, in this regard, the importance of the work of the National Commission of Inquiry, to lasting reconciliation in Côte d'Ivoire, welcomes the public issuance of the conclusions of the National Commission of Inquiry on 8 August 2012, calls for the implementation and conclusion of related investigations, further calls on the Government to create the enabling environment to ensure that the work of the Ivorian judicial system is impartial, credible, transparent and consistent with internationally agreed standards and, in this regard, encourages the Government to continue to support the effective operations of the Special Investigative Cell;

“17. Calls on those responsible to cease committing acts of sexual and gender-based violence immediately, and further calls upon UNOCI, where consistent with its authorities and responsibilities, to continue to support national and international efforts to bring to justice perpetrators of grave abuses of human rights and violations of international humanitarian law in Côte d'Ivoire, irrespective of their status or political affiliation;

“18. Urges the Government to take concrete and discernible steps to prevent and mitigate inter-communal violence by seeking a broad national consensus on addressing effectively identity and land tenure issues;

“19. Welcomes the initiative taken by the Government to enhance political dialogue with the political opposition, including extra-parliamentary political parties, calls on the Government to continue to step up concrete measures in this regard and ensure political space and rights for the opposition, further calls upon all opposition parties to play a constructive role and contribute towards reconciliation, and requests the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to continue to use her good offices role including to facilitate dialogue between all political stakeholders;

“20. Encourages the Ivoirian authorities to begin taking all necessary steps, in particular to undertake electoral reform, for the preparation of the 2015 presidential elections;

“21. Decides to extend until 30 June 2014 the authorization that the Security Council provided to the French Forces in order to support UNOCI, within the limits of their deployment and their capabilities;

“22. Urges all parties to cooperate fully with the operations of UNOCI and of the French Forces, which support it, in particular by ensuring their safety, security and freedom of movement with unhindered and immediate access throughout the territory of Côte d'Ivoire to enable them to fully carry out their mandates;

“23. Takes note of the elaboration of the United Nations human rights due diligence policy, encourages UNOCI to implement it fully, and requests the Secretary-General to include progress made in implementing the policy in his reports to the Council;

“24. Welcomes the continued cooperation between, and the conduct of coordinated activities by UNOCI and the FRCI and calls for strict adherence by the FRCI to international humanitarian, human rights and refugee laws and, in this context, recalls the importance of training in Human Rights, child protection and sexual and gender-based violence to security and law enforcement agencies;

“25. Calls on the Governments of Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia to continue to enhance their cooperation, particularly with respect to the border area, including through increasing monitoring, information sharing and conducting coordinated actions, and in developing and implementing a shared border strategy to inter alia support the disarmament and repatriation of foreign armed elements on both sides of the border and the repatriation of refugees;

“26. Calls upon all United Nations entities in Côte d'Ivoire and Liberia, including all components of UNOCI and UNMIL, within their respective mandates, capabilities and areas of deployment, to enhance their support for the stabilization of the border area, including through increased inter-mission cooperation and the development of a shared, strategic vision and plan, in support of the Ivorian and Liberian authorities;

“27. Commends inter-mission cooperation between UNOCI and the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), and encourages both UN missions to continue in this direction as authorized by paragraph 14 of resolution 2100 (2013);

“28. Takes note of the broad benchmarks presented by the Secretary-General in paragraphs 69 and 70 of his report of 26 June 2013 (S/2013/377) and requests the Secretary-General to refine these strategic benchmarks by presenting detailed and actionable objectives to measure progress for the achievement of long-term stability and to prepare for transition planning, and furthers requests him to include them in his midterm report;

“29. Requests the Secretary-General to keep the Council regularly informed of the situation in Côte d'Ivoire and the implementation of the mandate of UNOCI and to provide to it a midterm report no later than 31 December 2013 and a final report no later than 15 May 2014 on the situation on the ground and the implementation of this resolution;

“30. Decides to remain seized of the matter.”