UNOCI Mandate

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Having determined that the situation in Côte d’Ivoire continued to pose a threat to international peace and security in the region and acting under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, the Security Council, by its resolution 1528 (2004) of 27 February 2004, decided to establish UNOCI for an initial period of 12 months as from 4 April 2004. In accordance with the resolution, on that date ONUCI took over from the United Nations Mission in Côte d’Ivoire (MINUCI), a political mission set up by the Council in May 2003, and the forces of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The Council authorized UNOCI to use all necessary means to carry out its mandate, within its capabilities and its areas of deployment. The mandate of the mission was originally stipulated by resolution 1528 and subsequently further developed first by resolution 1609 (2005) of 24 June 2005 and most recently by resolution 1739 (2007) of 10 January 2007. According to the latter resolution, the mandate of UNOCI, which was to be implemented in coordination with the French forces stationed in Cote d’Ivoire, shall be the following:

Monitoring of the cessation of hostilities and movements of armed groups

To observe and monitor the implementation of the joint declaration of the end of the war of 6 April 2005 and of the comprehensive ceasefire agreement of 3 May 2003, to prevent, within its capabilities and its areas of deployment, any hostile action, and to investigate violations of the ceasefire,
To liaise with the National Armed Forces of Côte d’Ivoire (FANCI) and the military elements of the Forces Nouvelles in order to promote, in coordination with the French forces, the re-establishment of trust among all the Ivorian forces involved,
To assist the Government of Côte d’Ivoire in monitoring the borders, with particular attention to the situation of Liberian refugees and to any cross-border movement of combatants,

Disarmament, demobilization, reintegration, repatriation and resettlement

To assist the Government of Côte d’Ivoire in undertaking the regrouping of all the Ivorian forces involved and to assist in ensuring the security of their disarmament, cantonment and demobilization sites,
To support the Government of Côte d’Ivoire, within UNOCI’s current capacities, in the implementation of the national programme for the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of combatants, including through logistical support, in particular for the preparation of cantonment sites, paying special attention to the specific needs of women and children,
To coordinate closely with the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) in the implementation of a voluntary repatriation and resettlement programme for foreign ex-combatants, paying special attention to the specific needs of women and children, in support of the efforts of the Government of Côte d’Ivoire and in cooperation with the Governments concerned, relevant international financial institutions, international development organizations and donor nations,
To ensure that the national programme for the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of combatants and that the voluntary repatriation and resettlement programme for foreign ex-combatants take into account the need for a coordinated regional approach,
To secure, neutralize or destroy any weapons, ammunition or any other military materiel surrendered by the former combatants.

Disarmament and dismantling of militias

To assist the Prime Minister in formulating and implementing the programme for the immediate disarmament and dismantling of militias consistent with paragraph 12 of resolution 1721 (2006) , and to monitor its implementation,
To secure, neutralize or destroy all weapons, ammunition and other military materiel surrendered by militias.

Operations of identification of the population and registration of voters

To contribute, in close liaison with the working group mentioned in paragraph 17 of resolution 1721 (2006) , to the security of the operations of identification of the population and registration of voters, within its capabilities and its areas of deployment.

Reform of the security sector

To assist, in close liaison with the working group mentioned in paragraph 15 of resolution 1721
(2006) , in formulating a plan on the restructuring of the Defence and Security Forces and in preparing possible seminars on security sector reform to be organized by the African Union and ECOWAS.

Protection of United Nations personnel, institutions and civilians

To protect United Nations personnel, installations and equipment, ensure the security and freedom of movement of United Nations personnel and, without prejudice to the responsibility of the Government of Côte d’Ivoire, to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence, within its capabilities and its areas of deployment,
To support, in coordination with the Prime Minister, the provision of security for members of the Government of Côte d’Ivoire.

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) and, as appropriate, with UNMIL and Governments concerned, including by inspecting, as they deem it necessary and without notice, the cargo of aircraft and of any transport vehicle using the ports, airports, airfields, military bases and border crossings of Côte d’Ivoire,
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.

Support for humanitarian assistance

To facilitate the free flow of people, goods and humanitarian assistance, inter alia, by helping to establish the necessary security conditions and taking into account the special needs of vulnerable groups, especially women, children and elderly people,

Support for the redeployment of State administration

To facilitate, with the assistance of the African Union, ECOWAS and other international partners, the re-establishment by the Government of Côte d’Ivoire of the authority of the State throughout Côte d’Ivoire and of the institutions and public services essential for the social and economic recovery of the country,

Support for the organization of open, free, fair and transparent elections

To provide all necessary technical assistance to the Prime Minister, his Government, the Independent Electoral Commission and other relevant agencies or institutes, with the support of the African Union, ECOWAS and other international partners, for the organization of open, free, fair and transparent elections, presidential and legislative, by 31 October 2007 at the latest, as referred to in resolution 1721 (2006) ,
To provide technical information, advice and assistance as appropriate to the High Representative for the Elections,
To contribute, within its capabilities and its areas of deployment, to the security of the areas where voting is to take place,
To provide as necessary, within its capabilities and its areas of deployment, in close cooperation with the United Nations Programme for Development, logistical support for the Independent Electoral Commission, in particular for the transportation of electoral material,

Assistance in the field of human rights

To contribute to the promotion and protection of human rights in Côte d’Ivoire, with special attention to violence committed against children and women, to monitor and help investigate human rights violations with a view to ending impunity, and to keep the Security Council Committee established pursuant to paragraph 14 of resolution 1572 (2004) (the Committee) regularly informed of developments in this regard,

Public information

To promote the peace process as referred to in resolution 1721 (2006) throughout the territory of Côte d’Ivoire, through the Mission’s public information capacity, in particular its radio broadcasting capability through ONUCI FM,
To monitor the Ivorian mass media, in particular with regard to any incidents of incitement by the media to hatred, intolerance and violence, and to keep the Committee regularly informed of the situation in this regard,

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Law and order

To assist the Government of Côte d’Ivoire in conjunction with the African Union, ECOWAS and other international organizations in restoring a civilian policing presence throughout Côte d’Ivoire, and to advise the Government of Côte d’Ivoire on the restructuring of the internal security services,
To assist the Government of Côte d’Ivoire in conjunction with the African Union, ECOWAS and other international organizations in re-establishing the authority of the judiciary and the rule of law throughout Côte d’Ivoire,
To support the Government of Côte d’Ivoire in ensuring the neutrality and impartiality of public media by providing, as necessary, security of the premises of the Radio Télévision Ivoirienne (RTI);

By other provisions of resolution 1739, the Security Council authorized from the date of adoption of that resolution the French forces to use all necessary means in order to support UNOCI in accordance with the agreement reached between UNOCI and the French authorities, and in particular to:

Contribute to the general security of the area of activity of the impartial forces,
Intervene at the request of UNOCI in support of its elements whose security may be threatened,
In consultation with UNOCI, intervene against belligerent actions, if the security conditions so require, outside UNOCI’s areas of deployment,
Help to protect civilians, in the deployment areas of their units,
Contribute to monitoring the arms embargo established by resolution 1572 (2004) ,
Contribute to the drawing up of a plan on the restructuring of the Defence and Security Forces and to the preparation of possible seminars on security sector reform to be organized by the African Union and ECOWAS.

Further, on 15 July 2007, the Security Council, by its resolution 1765 , decided to renew the mandates of UNOCI and of the French forces which support it until 15 January 2008, in order to support the organization in Côte d’Ivoire of free, open, fair and transparent elections within the time frame set out in the Ouagadougou political Agreement, and expressedits readiness to renew them further as appropriate. The Council endorsed the Secretary-General’s recommendations contained in his 14 May 2007 progress report on UNOCI, which adapt the mission’s role to the new phase of the peace process in Côte d’Ivoire, as set out in the Ouagadougou Agreement.

[That Agreement, signed on 4 March 2007 by President Laurent Gbagbo and Guillaume Soro in Ouagadougou under the facilitation of the Chair of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), President Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso, sets out a series of measures to deal with the political divide. It calls, among other steps, for creating a new transitional Government; organizing free and fair presidential elections; merging the Forces Nouvelles and the national defence and security forces through the establishment of an integrated command centre; dismantling the militias, disarming ex-combatants and enrolling them in civil services programmes; and replacing the so-called zone of confidence separating north and south with a green line to be monitored by UNOCI.]

By the terms of the resolution, the Council requested UNOCI, within its existing resources, to support the Agreement’s full implementation, including by:

supporting the integrated command centre;
the restoration of State administration throughout the country;
the identification and voter registration processes;
the electoral process;
persons affected by the conflict;
efforts to create a positive political environment;
protection and promotion of human rights; and
the economic recovery process of Côte d’Ivoire.

Among other things, the Council decided to terminate the mandate of the High Representative for the Elections, deciding also that the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Côte d’Ivoire 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. It requested that the Secretary-General take all necessary steps so that the Special Representative has at his disposal a support cell to fulfil his task.

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UNOCI United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire