Viewing cable 08STATE81508, UN OPERATION IN COTE D'IVOIRE: MANDATE RENEWAL

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O 291737Z JUL 08
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TO RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK IMMEDIATE 0000
INFO RUEHAB/AMEMBASSY ABIDJAN IMMEDIATE 0000
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RUEHMV/AMEMBASSY MONROVIA IMMEDIATE 0000
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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