UN / GUINEA BISSAU

The top United Nations (UN) official in Guinea-Bissau called for the “structural causes of instability” to be addressed, and said the Conakry agreement “remains the framework for any effective and sustainable resolution of the current political crisis” in the country. UNIFEED

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:03
• Production Date: 14 February 2017
• Asset Language: English; French
• Personal Subject: MODIBO TOURÉ
• Corporate Name: SECURITY COUNCIL
• Subject Topical: AGREEMENTS; PEACE AND SECURITY; POLITICAL CONDITIONS
• Geographic Subject: GUINEA-BISSAU
• MAMS Id: 1831160
• Parent Id: 1831160
• Alternate Title: unifeed170214c

Description

STORY: UN / GUINEA BISSAU
TRT: 02:03
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / FRENCH / NATS

DATELINE: 14 FEBRUARY 2017, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters

14 FEBRUARY 2017, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, Security Council
3. Med shot, delegates
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Modibo Touré, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Guinea-Bissau:
“Any breakthrough in the political dialogue will remain short-lived if the structural causes of instability are not addressed. It will therefore be critical for all national actors to implement strictly the provisions in the Conakry agreement. Conakry, Mr. President, remains the framework for any effective and sustainable resolution of the current political crisis.”
5. Med shot, delegates
6. SOUNDBITE (French) Modibo Touré, Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Guinea-Bissau:
“I would thus launch an appeal to the whole political class to assure that all partisan considerations are put aside, and to place national interest first and foremost, so as to focus on the real issues in the country, namely combatting poverty and ensuring sustainable development. At this time of hardening of political positions it’s important that dialogue and cooperation reign.”
7. Med shot, delegates
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Mauro Vieira, Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations:
“Local authorities need to put the best interest of the nation above all other considerations. The message that we bring today is simple. All parties must swiftly agree on concrete steps that will enable the implementation of the six point road-map and the Conakry agreement.”
9. SOUNDBITE (French) João Soares Da Gama, Permanent Representative of Guinea-Bissau to the United Nations:
“In spite of varying interpretations of the agreement by some of the signatories, which created difficulties in its implementation, the government nonetheless respected all dialogue mechanisms; those of cooperation and defining arrangements for action with respect to the expected political and state reforms.”
10. Wide shot, Council

Storyline

The top United Nations (UN) official in Guinea-Bissau today (14 Feb) called for the “structural causes of instability” to be addressed, and said the Conakry agreement “remains the framework for any effective and sustainable resolution of the current political crisis” in the country.

The Security Council heard a briefing from Modibo Ibrahim Touré, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Guinea-Bissau, who appealed “to the whole political class to assure that all partisan considerations are put aside, and to place national interest first and foremost so as to focus on the real issues in the country, namely combating poverty and ensuring sustainable development.”

At this time of “hardening of political positions,” he said, “it’s important that dialogue and cooperation reign.”

Brazilian Ambassador Mauro Vieira, who chairs the Guinea-Bissau configuration peacebuilding commission, told the Council that “local authorities need to put the best interest of the nation above all other considerations.”

Vieira said “all parties must swiftly agree on concrete steps that will enable the implementation of the six point road-map and the Conakry agreement.”

“Local authorities need to put the best interest of the nation above all other considerations. The message that we bring today is simple. All parties must swiftly agree on concrete steps that will enable the implementation of the six point road-map and the Conakry agreement.”

Guinea-Bissau’s Ambassador João Soares Da Gama, for his part said that “in spite of varying interpretations of the agreement by some of the signatories, which created difficulties in its implementation, the government nonetheless respected all dialogue mechanisms; those of cooperation and defining arrangements for action with respect to the expected political and state reforms.”

The Conakry agreement on the implementation of the ECOWAS roadmap for the resolution of the political crisis in Guinea-Bissau was signed in October last year.

The agreement calls for, among other issues, consensus on the choice of a Prime Minister who has the confidence of the President of the Republic and who will remain in office until the 2018 legislative elections; the formation of an inclusive government based on an organogram agreed upon by all political parties in the National Assembly, in line with the principle of proportional representation; and the possibility of appointing independent prominent figures and civil society leaders to the inclusive government.