UN / COTE D’IVOIRE

The Security Council expands the mandate of the UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire in an effort to strengthen its capacity to consolidate stability in the West African country. UNTV / FILE

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:33
• Production Date: 30 June 2010
• Asset Language: Original
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS OPERATIONS IN COTE D'IVOIRE - UNOCI
• Subject Topical: POLITICAL CONDITIONS; POLITICAL MOVEMENTS; INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS; PEACE AND SECURITY
• Geographic Subject: COTE D'IVOIRE
• MAMS Id: U100630a

Description

STORY: UN / COTE D’IVOIRE
TRT: 1.33
SOURCE: UNTV / ONUCI
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: NATS

DATELINE: 30 JUNE 2010, NEW YORK / FILE

Shotlist

30 JUNIO 2010, NEW YORK

1. Wide shot, Security Council
2. Cutaway, delegates
3. Various shots, vote

FILE – ONUCI / 19 MAY 2007, GUIGLO, WESTERN COTE D'IVOIRE

4. Various shots, groups of militias jumping out of trucks
5. Various shots, militiamen chanting and dancing
6. Wide shot, group of young people chanting "We want Peace!"
7. Various shots, UN peacekeepers collecting weapons
8. Med shot, Deputy Special Representative, Abou Moussa setting fire to a pile of weapons

Storyline

The Security Council today (30 June) expanded the mandate of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (ONUCI), and the French forces supporting it, in an effort to strengthen its capacity to consolidate stability in the West African country, and extended the term of the mission until the end of this year.

The Council unanimously adopted a resolution giving UNOCI and the French forces the mandate to monitor armed groups in Côte d’Ivoire, protect civilians, monitor the arms embargo, promote the peace process, protect human rights, particularly those of children and women, and support humanitarian assistance.
The mission was also mandated to help in the organization of free and fair elections – which have been repeatedly delayed – and contribute towards the process of providing identification to the population.

UNOCI was also tasked to continue contributing to the implementation of the peace process by supporting the disarmament, demobilization, storage of weapons and the reintegration of former combatants of the two parties, as well as supporting the integrated command centre in the disarmament effort.

The mission will also support the redeployment of the Ivorian state administration and justice throughout the country, and help reform of the security sector. UNOCI’s other tasks include supporting the facilitator of the Côte d’Ivoire peace process and his representative and the protection of UN personnel, installations and equipment in the country.

The Council “authorizes UNOCI to use all necessary means to carry out its mandate, within its capabilities and its areas of deployment” according to the resolution, which also called on all parties to fully cooperate with the mission and French forces that support it.

It decided that UNOCI will comprise a maximum of 7,392 authorized military personnel, maintaining the current combined strength of 8,650 personnel, including 7,200 troops and staff officers and a maximum of just over 1,250 police and customs officers.

UNOCI was established in 2004 by the Council to facilitate the peace process in the West African nation, which became split by civil war in 2002 into a rebel-held north and Government-controlled south.

While preparations for the polls were on track up until late last year, they were interrupted in January. Political tensions began to mount after voter registration was suspended due to violence and President Laurent Gbagbo dissolved the Government and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) in February.

A new Government and Electoral Commission have since been established, but the electoral process remains stalled as differences persist on how to tackle the issue of fraud and resume the interrupted appeals process on the provisional voters list.