ReliefWeb

I. Introduction

1. In his letter to the Secretary-General dated 15 January 2019, the President of the Security Council indicated that the Council had decided to send a mission to West Africa (Côte d’Ivoire and Guinea-Bissau). The terms of reference for the visit were subsequently approved by the Council (see annex I). The mission, co-led by the representatives of Côte d’Ivoire and Equatorial Guinea (the latter of whom served as President of the Security Council in the month of February 2019), comprised representatives of all current members of the Council (see annex II).

II. Côte d’Ivoire

1. On 14 and 15 February 2019, the Security Council undertook its first visit to Côte d’Ivoire since the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) completed its mandate in 2017. The main objective of the visit was to take stock of the transition processes in Côte d’Ivoire and in Liberia and to express support for the conflict prevention and peacebuilding efforts of the United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS) and of the United Nations country teams in the Mano River subregion.

2. The Security Council met the Vice-President of Côte d’Ivoire, Daniel Kablan Duncan, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Marcel Amon-Tanoh, and took part in a round table on the transition from peacekeeping to peace consolidation in Côte d’Ivoire and in Liberia, which was also attended by the resident coordinators for the two countries.

Meeting with the Vice-President and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Côte d’Ivoire

1. The Vice-President Duncan expressed appreciation for the work of the United Nations, in particular UNOCI, for peace and stability in Côte d’Ivoire. He suggested that the case of Côte d’Ivoire be used as a model for countries making the transition from peacekeeping to peacebuilding. He stated that the leadership of the President, Alassane Ouattara, national ownership of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and security sector reform processes, efforts to foster national reconciliation, an effective partnership with UNOCI and close collaboration with neighbouring countries were key factors that contributed to the successful transition process in Côte d’Ivoire.

2. He noted the impressive economic performance of the country, with an 8 per cent rate of growth and efforts to improve the socioeconomic conditions of the population with the adoption of an education and health-focused programme for the period 2019–2020 (valued at approximately $2.8 million). He underlined the good performance of Côte d’Ivoire in the area of governance. He stated that the political situation in West Africa was stable and encouraged the United Nations to increase support to security efforts, notably the Joint Force of the Group of Five for the Sahel. Lastly, he reiterated the country’s commitment to supporting the work of the United Nations in the areas of peacekeeping and conflict prevention.

3. The Minister for Foreign Affairs thanked the Security Council for the visit. He referred to President Ouattara’s recent briefing to the Council in December 2018, highlighting the progress achieved since the closure of UNOCI, noted the good cooperation between the Government of Côte d’Ivoire and UNOCI and thanked the United Nations and the international community at large for the support provided during the electoral process and post-electoral crisis in 2010–2011. He noted an improvement in the socioeconomic conditions of the population, underlined the 8 per cent rate of economic growth and stressed that the crisis was over in the country. Lastly, he referred to Côte d’Ivoire’s successful presidency of the Council in 2018.

4. The Permanent Representative of Equatorial Guinea to the United Nations, Anatolio Ndong Mba, as co-lead of the mission, stated that the visit was aimed at taking stock of the achievements of Côte d’Ivoire since the closure of UNOCI. He said that the country was an economic driving force in the region and expressed the hope that it would remain a model of peace consolidation. He welcomed progress towards achieving lasting peace and economic prosperity in the country and renewed the Security Council’s strong commitment to the sovereignty and integrity of Côte d’Ivoire. He underlined the need to strengthen national reconciliation and dialogue and to continue efforts in the areas of disarmament, demobilization and reintegration and security sector reform to prevent the reoccurrence of conflict in Côte d’Ivoire and the Mano River Basin. He commended the improved security and humanitarian situation in the country. He stressed the primary responsibility of the Government of Côte d’Ivoire to promote stability and commended efforts to combat terrorism and all forms of illicit trafficking. He also stressed the need for Côte d’Ivoire to ensure a credible electoral process in 2020 for the consolidation of peace and stability in the country. Lastly, he praised the important role played by UNOWAS in working with Member States and regional organizations to tackle threats to peace and security in the subregion and reiterated the Council’s support for Côte d’Ivoire.

5. The Minister for Foreign Affairs referred to recent political developments in the country, such as the establishment of a new unified ruling party called the Rassemblement des houphouëtistes pour la démocratie et la paix, the beginning of a political dialogue on the review of the Independent Electoral Commission and the resignation of the Speaker of the National Assembly, Guillaume Soro. Regarding the latter, the Minister clarified that, by deciding not to join the Rassemblement, Mr. Soro was no longer a member of the parliamentary majority and therefore had to resign.
   He also gave assurances that the upcoming presidential election would provide the opportunity to consolidate democracy in Côte d’Ivoire.

6. The Vice-President informed the mission that 93 per cent of former combatants had been reintegrated. For his part, the Minister for Foreign Affairs noted three elements that contributed to the success of the Ivorian disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process: (a) the commitment of President Ouattara; (b) a clear programme designed by the Government, which provided training and work opportunities for those who chose to leave the army; and (c) national funding. In that regard, he highlighted that the Government had financed 72 per cent of the programme over a three-year period. With regard to security sector reform, he noted that emphasis had been placed on the need to strengthen the armed and police forces, including through training and the provision of equipment. He explained that the security sector reform process was ongoing.

7. In response to the queries of the members of the Security Council mission, the Vice-President stated that national reconciliation was one of the priorities of President Ouattara, along with peace, security and economic recovery. He informed the mission of the establishment of two commissions, in 2011 and 2015, as well as the creation of a dedicated ministry in 2016 to foster national reconciliation. He also referred to the amnesty granted in August 2018 to 800 individuals, including the former First Lady,
   Simone Gbagbo, convicted of crimes related to the post-election crisis of 2010–2011.
   He underlined efforts to identify and compensate the victims of the crisis, with a 10 billion CFA franc fund allocated to the process. He mentioned that the Government had identified key partners to accompany the process of national reconciliation, including traditional leaders, youth groups and civil society organizations, and noted the successful holding of local and regional elections in 2018, notwithstanding incidents, and underlined efforts to foster national dialogue, supported by the inclusive review of the Independent Electoral Commission, for peaceful and credible elections in 2020.

8. The Minister for Foreign Affairs noted the efforts of President Ouattara to create the conditions for continuous dialogue and facilitate the return of the 2010–2011 postelectoral crisis refugees. He stressed that national reconciliation was a long process and called upon partners to give Côte d’Ivoire time to achieve more results.

9. The Vice-President highlighted that the improvement in women’s living conditions was one of the priorities of President Ouattara. He underlined the emphasis placed on gender equality in the Constitution, which was adopted in 2016, and mentioned initiatives for women’s empowerment, including the creation of a women and development fund to support women entrepreneurs in Côte d’Ivoire. The Minister for Foreign Affairs added that Côte d’Ivoire had created a roster of qualified women who are eligible to work in the public administration.

10. The Vice-President informed the mission of collaboration with subregional organizations, namely, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the West African Economic and Monetary Union, as well as bilateral partners, notably France, in the efforts to combat terrorism. He recalled the serious security challenges in the Sahel and the Lake Chad Basin, as well as support given by Côte d’Ivoire to security efforts, including through the deployment of 650 Ivoirian troops with the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali. He called for effective support for the Joint Force of the Group of Five for the Sahel.

11. The Minister for Foreign Affairs referred to the impact of the Libyan crisis on Mali and other West African countries and called upon the international community to redouble its efforts to achieve stability and lasting peace in Libya. He emphasized that prevention was essential in the efforts to combat terrorism and noted the establishment of regional and international intelligence-sharing mechanisms.

12. The Vice-President noted efforts to combat impunity, the establishment of a national commission on human rights and the reform of the justice system. For his part, the Minister for Foreign Affairs reiterated the commitment of Côte d’Ivoire to respecting and promoting human rights.

13. In response to a question on how Côte d’Ivoire was dealing with the flows of migrants from West Africa, the Minister for Foreign Affairs stated that 40 per ce nt of the 22 million people living in Côte d’Ivoire were foreigners, emphasizing that such diversity was an asset for the country. He recognized that Côte d’Ivoire was also a country of transit for illegal migration flows and stressed that it had adopted policies to facilitate the return of Ivorian migrants who had crossed borders illegally.

14. With regard to Africa cooperation, the Vice-President reiterated the support given by Côte d’Ivoire to the establishment of free trade areas and a single African market. The Minister for Foreign Affairs said that Côte d’Ivoire supported the adoption of a single West African currency.

15. In response to questions by Security Council members about the role of Côte d’Ivoire in the subregion, the Minister for Foreign Affairs highlighted the important role played by President Ouattara, as ECOWAS Chair, from 2012 to 2014, to defuse tensions in Mali. He also mentioned that the country was an important economic power in the region.

16. The Vice-President stressed that the return of internally displaced persons and refugees was a major priority for the Government, mentioning that 280,000 of 300,000 refugees had returned to date, with 250,000 coming from Liberia. He hoped that all refugees would return to Côte d’Ivoire by 2020. He added that Côte d’Ivoire had focused on education, with the establishment of new universities in Abidjan and the main regions. He also called upon the Security Council to raise the awareness of partners on the important economic role of Côte d’Ivoire in the subregion. The Minister for Foreign Affairs mentioned efforts to modernize the country through the establishment of processing industries in the coming years and called upon investors to support the country’s development efforts. He underlined the objective of Côte d’Ivoire to become an emerging country by 2030.

Round-table discussion on the transition from peacekeeping to peace consolidation in Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia

1. During the round-table discussion on the transition from peacekeeping to peace consolidation, the resident coordinators of Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia shared their experiences in those countries’ transitions.

2. The resident coordinator for Côte d’Ivoire stated that transition planning from peacekeeping to peace consolidation had begun in 2015, two years before the closure of UNOCI. He noted that the process had been the result of a coordinated approach between UNOCI, the Government of Côte d’Ivoire, international partners and the United Nations country team. Emphasis had been placed on the identification of residual challenges, which were incorporated into the 2016–2020 national development plan and the United Nations programmatic framework for Côte d ’Ivoire for the period 2017–2020. The Government subsequently developed a national programme and strategy for reconciliation and social cohesion for 2016–2020. He underlined that the country team had identified social cohesion and national reconciliation, rule of law, gender-based violence and community safety as priorities, and explained that $500 million had been needed for the transition process, adding that the country team had finalized a transition programme at a cost of $50 million.

He recognized the important financial contribution of the Peacebuilding Fund ($1.8 million), which had significantly contributed to a smooth transition in Côte d’Ivoire. He also noted that additional funding for the transition programme had been provided through the United Nations regular budget ($2.8 million), the Government of Côte d’Ivoire ($10 million) and bilateral partners ($25 million). The resident coordinator stated that the United Nations programme for the country had been developed in cooperation with the Government. While noting the efforts of the Government towards enhancing the condition of women, the resident coordinator highlighted major challenges to gender equality, recalling that only 16 per cent of members of Government and 9 per cent of members of Parliament were women. He identified land conflicts and issues related to the management of natural resources as remaining root causes of conflict in Côte d’Ivoire. Referring to the local and provincial elections held in December 2018, the resident coordinator stressed that difficulties had emerged because of a shift in political alliances and highlighted United Nations efforts to defuse tensions.

1. The resident coordinator for Liberia noted the attention given by the international community to Liberia and added that the new administration was trying to build on the successful exit of the peacekeeping mission. He noted that Liberia had not yet fully addressed the root causes of conflict, including issues of accountability and reconciliation. He listed the political, security, social and economic fragilities of the country. In that regard, he noted the low level of decentralization and the weak economy, with a 1.4 per cent rate of economic growth. He added that Liberia was vulnerable to security threats since the departure of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), with increased criminal activities in the Gulf of Guinea, and stated that the Government lacked the capacity to monitor the country’s long coastal line.
   He highlighted the different steps followed by the United Nations country team in Liberia to manage the transition process. The capacity mapping exercise of the country team and the comprehensive review of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) office had resulted in the recalibration of the United Nations presence in Liberia. He recalled the establishment, following the closure of UNMIL, of a multi-partner trust fund focusing on peace consolidation and peacebuilding and informed the mission that $19.3 million had been mobilized for the fund. He also reported on the establishment of a political, peace and development unit in the office of the resident coordinator and the establishment of a standalone office of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), and stressed the need for a continued United Nations presence in countries making the transition from peacekeeping to peace consolidation in order to deal with residual issues following the closure of peacekeeping operations. He confirmed that the work of the President of Liberia was very much guided by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. He underlined the importance of the country team mapping exercise in Liberia and agreed that it could be a good tool to lay the groundwork for the transition from peacekeeping to peace consolidation. He highlighted the effective role of the Peacebuilding Commission in support of Liberia and mentioned discussions with UNOWAS to find ways to revive relations with the Mano River Union. Referring to United Nations reforms, he said that the delinking of the resident coordinator and the UNDP resident representative was not very visible in Liberia, given that the two had close working relations. He identified three main drivers of conflict in the country, namely, land issues, respect for human rights and the issue of accountability for crimes committed during the civil war. With regard to regional cooperation, he mentioned the good collaboration with the African Union and ECOWAS on prevention and mediation. He called upon the Security Council to ensure that decisions to close or draw down peacekeeping operations were carefully adopted, effectively support United Nations operations before, during and after the closure of peacekeeping missions, and be aware that the shift from assessed contributions to voluntary support affected operations/programmes on the ground. Lastly, he called upon members of the Council to continue to look at Liberia through “a lens of prevention and not of celebration”.

Observations/key messages

1. The Security Council delegation welcomed the progress achieved by Côte d’Ivoire in terms of stability and economic growth. They renewed their support to the country and emphasized the need for national authorities to continue to consolidate democracy through free, fair, credible and peaceful elections in 2020. They also called upon the authorities to enhance national reconciliation and take the steps necessary to engage all stakeholders.

2. The round table provided an opportunity to draw lessons from the transition processes in Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia. It helped to identify potential areas in which strengthened support was required from the Security Council, including in terms of human and financial resources to address residual challenges following the departure of peacekeeping missions. It also helped to identify some useful steps to successfully manage the transition from peacekeeping to peace consolidation, including the carrying out of capacity mapping exercises of the United Nations country teams and the identification of residual tasks that would have to be addressed following th e closure of a peacekeeping mission.