Situation of Human Rights in Côte D’ivoire President's Statement

A/HRC/PRST/35/1View PDF

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

A Presidential Statement of the Human Rights Council, under agenda item 10 Technical assistance and capacity-building, published in 2017.

What subjects does this mandate have?

7 subjects

Administration of Justice Capacity Building Côte D'ivoire Human Rights Human Rights Institutions Reconciliation Technical Cooperation

What’s in this document?

31 operative paragraphs

At the 37th meeting, held on 23 June 2017, the President of the Human Rights Council made the following statement:

Thanks the Independent Expert on the enhancement of capacity-building and technical cooperation with Côte d’Ivoire in the field of human rights for his report² on the human rights situation in Côte d’Ivoire and notes the latest legal and political developments in the country, in particular the following:

²A/HRC/35/43.

The adoption of a new Constitution establishing the Third Republic, which strengthens the rule of law, the protection of public freedoms, democratic governance and gender equality;

The inauguration of the new Parliament and the new Government in December 2016 and January 2017;

The appointment of a Vice-President under the new Constitution;

The adoption by the Council of Ministers, on 13 April 2017, of a decree establishing a national committee to combat trafficking in persons, pursuant to Act No. 2016-1111 of 8 December 2016 on combating trafficking in persons;

The adoption by the Council of Ministers, on 14 April 2017, of a bill to suppress the smuggling of migrants, in view of the worrying situation faced by migrants;

The adoption by the Government, on 17 May 2017, of a decree establishing an interministerial committee for the follow-up and implementation of recommendations in the area of international humanitarian law;

The signing of Decree No. 2016-373 of 3 June 2016 on the establishment, powers, organization and functioning of a national committee to combat conflict-related sexual violence;

Welcomes the legislative reforms to the Criminal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, the Civil Code and the Code of Civil Procedure, and encourages the Government of Côte d’Ivoire to monitor the reforms necessary for the modernization of the judicial system and to develop and implement actions to reduce the duration of pretrial detention and improve detention conditions;

Also welcomes the continuation of judicial proceedings in Côte d’Ivoire, in accordance with the international standards guaranteeing a fair trial, and encourages the country to prosecute all the alleged perpetrators of human rights violations, particularly those committed during the post-election crisis of 2010-2011;

Welcomes the significant progress made in the national reconciliation process, which has been marked by events including the return from exile of several high-ranking officials and supporters of the former regime and the release of a number of alleged perpetrators of acts of violence committed during the 2010-2011 election period, and encourages the Government of Côte d’Ivoire to continue its efforts to achieve national reconciliation;

Welcomes the publication on 25 October 2016 of the report of the Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which has helped to bring out the truth, to disseminate information and to raise national and international awareness of the outcome of the Commission’s work, with a view to promoting forgiveness and national reconciliation, and encourages the Government of Côte d’Ivoire to take actions to raise public awareness of the content of the report and to take into account its recommendations;

Also welcomes the continued provision of compensation from a victim compensation fund totalling 10 billion CFA francs, the aim of which is to place victims at the centre of the national reconciliation process, and calls upon the international community to provide support to the fund;

Commends the renewed commitment of Côte d’Ivoire to the United Nations system, as evidenced by its election to the Security Council as a non-permanent member in June 2017;

Welcomes the long-standing tradition in Côte d’Ivoire of welcoming and providing hospitality to migrants, who constitute about 25 per cent of the total population, and commends the efforts of the Government of Côte d’Ivoire to integrate them;

Welcomes the efforts of Côte d’Ivoire in the area of statelessness and encourages the country to continue sharing experiences and good practices;

Also welcomes the adoption of Decree No. 2017-121 of 22 February 2017 on the procedures for implementation of Act No. 2014-388 of 20 June 2014 on the promotion and protection of human rights defenders;

Notes with appreciation the implementation of the programme for the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of former combatants, 72 per cent funded by Côte d’Ivoire, and the implementation of security sector reform and the plan for reconciliation, social cohesion, reconstruction and peacebuilding, and encourages the Ivorian authorities to continue these reforms in order to consolidate the progress achieved;

Recommends that the Government of Côte d’Ivoire continue its efforts to build capacities and cohesion within the armed forces of the country in order to strengthen its institutions, thereby contributing to national development and full respect for human rights;

Notes that women are underrepresented in national institutions, including the Parliament and Government, and strongly encourages the Government of Côte d’Ivoire to strengthen, support and promote the full participation of women in leadership positions and at all levels of decision-making in the social, economic and political life of the country, in accordance with the relevant provisions of the new Constitution;

Encourages the Government of Côte d’Ivoire to continue to strengthen the rule of law, in particular by combating impunity;

Also encourages the Government of Côte d’Ivoire to continue to cooperate fully and effectively with the human rights treaty bodies and to submit its pending reports to the relevant bodies;

Encourages the strengthening of the prison system and of the provisions that guarantee the independence of the judiciary, with the aim of ensuring the proper functioning of public institutions and services and the enjoyment of all human rights;

Requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide the technical assistance requested by the Government of Côte d’Ivoire in order to strengthen the capacity of the National Human Rights Commission of Côte d’Ivoire in view of the expiry of the mandate of the Independent Expert and the closure of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire in June 2017, and encourages the Ivorian authorities to bring the Commission into conformity with the principles relating to the status of national institutions for the promotion and protection of human rights (Paris Principles) and to provide it with the necessary means to carry out its work independently;

Strongly encourages the Government of Côte d’Ivoire to continue to adopt the necessary legislative, policy and legal measures to safeguard the human rights of all vulnerable persons, and to pay particular attention to the fate of missing persons and persons who have been displaced, resettled or reintegrated or who are refugees;

Also strongly encourages the Government of Côte d’Ivoire to continue to combat gender-based violence and discrimination;

Strongly commends the important work done by the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Côte d’Ivoire within the framework of technical assistance and capacity-building;

Calls upon the Government of Côte d’Ivoire, with support from all relevant stakeholders, including civil society, to implement the recommendations made by the Independent Expert in his report and to take the necessary legal measures to implement them in the short term, in particular through the National Human Rights Commission and the technical ministries designated to take over the Human Rights Division of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire;

Calls upon the international community to continue to support, upon request, the National Human Rights Commission in its capacity-building efforts and in enabling it to contribute effectively to the promotion and protection of the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the Ivorian people, in accordance with the Paris Principles;

Welcomes the cooperation of the Ivorian authorities with the United Nations system as a whole, in particular the mechanisms of the Human Rights Council, and their willingness to continue to work to uphold and promote human rights in Côte d’Ivoire;

Express its gratitude to all bilateral and multilateral partners, civil society and non-governmental organizations for the support and assistance they have provided to the Government of Côte d’Ivoire throughout the years.”

Who adopted this document and its mandates?

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