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UN Daily News
Monday, 1 May 2017
Issue DH/7399
In the headlines:
• Syria: UN concerned over worsening security,
• 'Broadly positive' outlook for Asia-Pacific
humanitarian situation in Damascus suburbs
threatened by rising global uncertainty, warns UN
report
• UN calls for protection of civilians sheltering in
South Sudan’s Upper Nile area
• On International Day, UNESCO spotlights power of
jazz to promote dialogue among cultures
• Rights of indigenous peoples ‘not in a very good
state,’ UN expert says
•
• Angola: UN agency airlifts aid to newly-arrived
refugees from DR Congo
Protection of forests ‘fundamental to security of
humanity’s place on this planet,’ UN Forum told
• South Sudan: UN urges all sides to cease
hostilities; regional force starts to arrive
• Abuses by non-State actors no justification for
rights violations by Governments – UN rights chief
• Middle East peace effort lacks progress on political
• FEATURE: Mission Accomplished – UN Operation in
Côte d’Ivoire
front – UN reports
Syria: UN concerned over worsening security, humanitarian
situation in Damascus suburbs
1 May – The United Nations today said that it remains deeply
concerned by the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in
the eastern part of Syria’s Ghouta, where some 400,000 people are
trapped.
“The UN has not reached any part of eastern Ghouta since October
last year,” said Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the SecretaryGeneral, in the daily briefing at UN Headquarters in New York.
A convoy bound for East Ghouta, Syria, on 19 April 2016. Photo:
OCHA/Ghalia Seifo
He said that the UN stands ready to immediately deliver life-saving
assistance to those in need of assistance in eastern Ghouta, located in
the suburbs of Damascus, should the pause be established and abided
by all parties to the conflict.
The spokesperson said the UN remains concerned about reports of
intensified fighting among non-State armed groups in the enclave over the past few days.
With commercial and humanitarian supplies continue to be blocked, prices of basic staple goods have gone up significantly,
he said, noting that civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities and schools, continue to be affected by the tight
restrictions and reports of shelling, airstrikes, and ground fighting.
For information media not an official record
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1 May 2017
Mr. Dujarric also announced that UN World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director David Beasley is visiting Lebanon
and Syria through 3 May – his first visit since taking office last month. Mr. Beasley is expected to meet Syrians affected by
the ongoing crisis to witness the profound humanitarian crisis first-hand.
UN calls for protection of civilians sheltering in South Sudan’s
Upper Nile area
1 May – A senior United Nations humanitarian official in South
Sudan today demanded that parties to the conflict uphold their
responsibilities to protect thousands of Shilluk civilians sheltering in
and around Aburoc, following the resumption of the government
offensive and clashes along the West Bank of the Nile River last
week.
“Civilians in Aburoc are living in fear, not knowing what each day
will bring,” said the Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim for the
country, Serge Tissot, in a press release from the UN Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Thousands of civilians have arrived into Aburoc, South Sudan,
following the resumption of the government offensive and clashes
along the West Bank of the Nile River. Photo: OCHA/Gemma Connell
“I call on the Government to respect the civilian nature of these
settlements and ensure they are not subject to attacks, and call on the
opposition forces to ensure that areas highly populated by civilians
are, and remain, demilitarized,” he added.
According to OCHA, thousands of civilians have arrived into Aburoc in recent days. Many have walked for days on foot
and are arriving exhausted and weak. Thousands are reportedly now moving toward Sudan out of fear of potential future
attacks. Prices are exorbitant and transport is inadequate, so many people are having no choice but to walk.
On 23 and 24 April, humanitarian organizations relocated staff from Kodok and Aburoc amidst the spread of conflict on the
Nile’s West Bank. Several courageous local staff remain in the community and are doing all they can to assist people in
need. However, key humanitarian assets were looted by opposition forces and other actors in recent days.
“I demand the immediate return of all looted humanitarian assets in Aburoc, which are absolutely vital to life-saving
humanitarian action,” said Mr. Tissot.
Humanitarians are exploring all feasible options to provide assistance to those fleeing the fighting but are facing major
challenges, including lack of fuel in the area.
An interagency team visited Aburoc on 29 April to see the situation first-hand and the Central Emergency Response Fund
(CERF) recently released funds that will support the scale-up of emergency operations in locations where civilians are
arriving.
“This operation is the true definition of life-saving,” said Mr. Tissot. “I therefore call on both parties to ensure immediate,
free and unhindered humanitarian access to civilians, wherever they may flee, including for trucks to safely access the river
and carry water to locations where [internally displaced persons] are sheltering.”
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Rights of indigenous peoples ‘not in a very good state,’ UN
expert says
1 May – The rights of indigenous peoples are being abused by
authorities and corporations that want access to their land and the
resources – such as petrol – that l beneath it, the United Nations expert
on the issue today said on the sidelines of the 2017 session of the UN
Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, currently under way in New
York.
“The situation of indigenous peoples’ rights is really not in a very
good state these days because there are policies and laws used to
criminalize them,” Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Special Rapporteur on the
rights of indigenous peoples, said in a press briefing alongside three
other indigenous leaders.
Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples Victoria TauliCorpuz. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
She noted the use of harassment, torture and arrests against
indigenous peoples peacefully protecting their property. This is out of
line with the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted by the General Assembly in September 2007,
which established a universal framework of minimum standards for the survival, dignity, well-being and rights of the
world’s indigenous peoples.
“The main preoccupation of indigenous peoples is really to work on the defence of their land and resources, and protection
of the right of self-determination. In their assertion of this right, they are accused of being a terrorist or arrested,” Ms. TauliCorpuz.
The independent UN expert just returned from Honduras, where she met with the family of an indigenous right defender
killed last year. She noted the hearings in the case are being delayed and said that there was a “lack of determination from
the side of prosecutors to pursue” a case.
Ms. Tauli-Corpuz had also recently been in the United States, where members of the Standing Rock reservation are
protesting the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. There, she saw indigenous peoples arrested and pounced on by
police dogs.
These “gatherings are not violent and should not be subjected to this type of force,” said Ms. Tauli-Corpuz.
Indigenous peoples represent five per cent of the world’s population, but their lands hold about 80 per cent of the world’s
biodiversity, according to UN-cited figures.
“Petrol, minerals, it’s all beneath the earth, which leads to a tremendous problem,” said Lourdes Tibán Guala, a Member of
the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues from Ecuador.
Speaking alongside Ms. Tauli-Corpuz, she described the importance of land to indigenous peoples: “The land passes
everything, health, education, agriculture. But whenever there are discussions about the economy of a country, indigenous
people’s lands are the first to be used.”
This is done without discussions with the indigenous peoples, but with the belief that the nations will trade for “some
chickens, some cows.”
“But indigenous peoples do not want machinery on their territory without prior consultation,” the Ecuadorian advocate
stressed.
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Among other issues raised in today’s briefing was the idea of having an Ambassador for the indigenous peoples joining
Ambassadors from the 193 UN Member States on the General Assembly floor.
The sixteenth session, of the Permanent Forum, which opened last Monday, runs at UN Headquarters through Friday, 5
May.
Protection of forests ‘fundamental to security of humanity’s
place on this planet,’ UN Forum told
1 May – Kick-starting action on the recently-adopted Global Forest
Goals to protect, sustainably manage and increase world’s forest area
will be a key focus for delegations gathered in New York for the
twelfth session of the UN Forum on Forests, which opened today
at United Nations Headquarters.
The Selm Muir Forest of West Lothian, Scotland. UN Photo/Robert
Clamp
The six forest goals and 26 associated targets, all to be achieved by
2030, the deadline set by UN Member States for the universal
attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDSs), were
adopted late last week by the UN General Assembly as part of the UN
Strategic Plan for Forest 2017-2030, which includes a landmark
target to expand the world’s forests by three per cent – an area of 120
million hectares, by 2030.
“Let us make no mistake on this matter – the health of the world’s forests is fundamental to humanity’s place on this
planet,” said Assembly President Peter Thomson at the opening of the Forum’s current session, emphasizing that forests
were home to 80 per cent of the Earth’s land-based animal, plant and insect species.
Together, they regulate climate, prevent land degradation, reduce the risk of floods, landslides and avalanches, and protect
people from droughts and dust storms. Forests also played a critical role in staving off the worst impacts of climate change,
serving as the world’s second-largest storehouse of carbon, he said. Indeed, the world’s tropical forests alone retained a
quarter trillion tons of carbon in biomass.
“If we are to succeed in the implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the protection and sustainable
management of our forests will be fundamental to the security of humanity’s place upon this planet,” Mr. Thomson said,
adding that the Assembly’s decision to adopt the first-ever strategic plan was “a critical one.”
Forests presently cover 30 per cent of the Earth’s land area, or nearly four billion hectares. Sustainably managed forests are
healthy, productive, resilient and renewable ecosystems, which provide vital goods and ecosystem services to people
worldwide. An estimated 25 per cent of the global population depends on forests for their subsistence, livelihood,
employment and income.
The UN forests plan provides a global framework for actions to sustainably manage all types of forests and trees outside
forests and halt deforestation and forest degradation.
The goals cover a wide range of issues including increasing forest area and combating climate change, reducing poverty and
increasing forest protected areas, mobilizing financing and inspiring innovation, promoting governance and enhancing
cooperation across sectors and stakeholders.
In his opening remarks, Peter Besseau, of Canada, Chair of the twelfth session of the Forum on Forests, said the landmark
global action plan translated the aspirations of the International Arrangement on Forest into an actionable plan to guide
the Forums’ work for the next 13 years. “The Global Forest Goals reflect the way the Forum is transforming its work to
more effectively address the challenges facing forests and the lives of the people who depend on them.”
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He urged all countries and stakeholders to tackle the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation; balance economic
growth, social progress and environmental sustainability; and improve governance in order to integrate forest issues, as per
the guidance from the Quadrennial Programme of Work.
As a unique universal body on forests, the UN Forum has an important role to play in implementation of the 2030 Agenda
for Sustainable Development, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs Wu Hongbo told the Forum today.
He noted that “the new method of work of the Forum, provides an excellent opportunity for the body to address the links
between forests and the SDGs, as well as capacity building, financing, technology development and transfer, governance,
and science-policy interface, in a holistic and coherent manner.”
The six goals not only contribute to progress on the 2030 Agenda and its SDGs, but also address the Aichi Biodiversity
Targets, the Paris Agreement on climate change, and other international forest-related commitments and goals.
“To create a better, greener future, we need the right enabling environment - from governance systems that combat illegal
deforestation, to policies that ensure equitable sharing of benefits from forests” stressed the Director of UN Forum on
Forests Secretariat, Manoel Sobral Filho.
“When sustainably managed, forests provide essential goods and services worldwide,” said Mr. Sobral Filho, adding that for
millions of people living in poverty, “forests serve as safety nets in crises and often provide pathways out of poverty.”
Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world
Discussions at the Forum will take into account the 2017 theme of the UN High Level Political Forum on Sustainable
Development (HLPF), Eradicating poverty and promoting prosperity in a changing world and the SDGs under in-depth
review by the HLPF this year.
The Forest Forum will also discuss issues related to sustainable forest management and strategies to promote
implementation of the UN forest action plan.
The six Global Forest Goals
The forest-related goals proposed by the UN Forum on Forests and adopted by the UN General Assembly are:
•
•
•
•
•
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Global Forest Goal 1 - Reverse the loss of forest cover worldwide through sustainable forest management,
including protection, restoration, afforestation and reforestation, and increase efforts to prevent forest degradation
and contribute to the global effort of addressing climate change.
Global Forest Goal 2 - Enhance forest-based economic, social and environmental benefits, including by improving
the livelihoods of forest dependent people.
Global Forest Goal 3 - Increase significantly the area of protected forests worldwide and other areas of sustainably
managed forests, as well as the proportion of forest products from sustainably managed forests.
Global Forest Goal 4 - Mobilize significantly increased, new and additional financial resources from all sources for
the implementation of sustainable forest management and strengthen scientific and technical cooperation and
partnerships.
Global Forest Goal 5 - Promote governance frameworks to implement sustainable forest management, including
through the UN Forest Instrument, and enhance the contribution of forests to the 2030 Agenda.
Global Forest Goal 6 - Enhance cooperation, coordination, coherence and synergies on forest-related issues at all
levels, including within the UN System and across Collaborative Partnership on Forests member organizations, as
well as across sectors and relevant stakeholders.
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Abuses by non-State actors no justification for rights violations
by Governments – UN rights chief
1 May – Raising alarm over use of rhetoric by States that they can
“solve problems” and find ways around lawful safeguards, the United
Nations rights chief today urged vigilance to protect and promote
human rights of everyone.
“The use of, or the creation of, some form of political fog to create
confusion at times, even amounting to the depth charging of truth or
parts of it, so that a government can pursue a particular line [is,] I
think something […] to watch very carefully,” said UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein at a press
briefing in Geneva.
High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein. UN
Photo/Jean-Marc Ferré
“Violations by non-State actors of human rights norms, of
international law, do not, and should not serve as grounds for
violations thereby by Government actors,” he underscored.
In his remarks, he expressed particular concern over the renewed state of emergency in Turkey and the human rights
situation in the country.
According to reports, up to 150,000 civil servants have been suspended. Furthermore, there are reports that last week about
10,000 police officers were also suspended and some one thousand among them detained.
“With such a large number, it is highly unlikely that the suspensions and detentions will have met due process standards,”
added Mr. Zeid.
“Yes, the terror attacks need to be tackled, but not at the expense of human rights, and I am very concerned about the
renewed state of emergency which was undertaken in mid-April and the climate of fear in the country,” he underscored.
In the same vein, he also drew attention to the dangers confronting human rights defenders, journalists and civil society
members in their lines of work.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights also spoke out against the impact of human rights violations on the lives of
people and the resulting increased suffering.
“Human rights violations have also resulted in famines in Yemen and South Sudan and human rights deficits have
exacerbated the impact of droughts in other places like Kenya, Somalia and northern Nigeria,” he said.
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Middle East peace effort lacks progress on political front – UN
reports
1 May – The lack of progress in resolving the Israeli-Palestinian
conflict is impeding Palestine's development, according to a new
United Nations report, which also reiterates the international
community's commitment to a two-state solution in the region.
The report, issued by the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the
Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO), notes that “despite a number of
international efforts over the past six months to advance the two-state
solution, last year has been characterized by a continued lack of
progress on the political front.”
In contrast to recommendations outlined in the July 2016 report by
the Middle East Quartet, there has been “a surge in Israeli
settlement-related activity and a continued high rate of demolitions in
Palestinian and Bedouin communities” as well as “continuing acts of
violence against civilians, signs of a deepening political rift between Gaza and the West Bank, and continued military buildup and firing of rockets by extremist groups in Gaza.”
Many Bedouin and herding communities in Area C of the West Bank
are prevented from improving or building shelters by the Israeli
authorities. Photo: UNRWA/Alaa Ghosheh
This environment threatens the erosion of the achievements of the Palestinian state building effort, according to the report.
“The institutions of Palestinian governance remain vulnerable to political instability and require affirmative steps to protect
and advance state-building efforts,” the authors wrote.
The report also notes a “deepening political rift” between Gaza and the West Bank. Tensions between the Palestinian
Authority and Hamas are aggravating a “difficult situation in the Gaza Strip” with an intra-Palestinian disagreement over
issues such as electricity access and payment of salaries.
Analysing the impact of the Hamas take-over ten years ago and the ensuing Israeli closures and conflicts, the report notes
that “Gaza is facing a downward spiral of de-development, while the people in Gaza are caught in a cycle of humanitarian
need and perpetual aid dependency.”
The report covers the period from 15 September 2016 to 15 April 2017.
It will be presented to the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) at its bi-annual meeting in Brussels on 4 May. The
Committee, chaired by Norway and co-sponsored by the European Union and the United States, serves as the principal
policy-level coordination mechanism for development assistance to the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
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'Broadly positive' outlook for Asia-Pacific threatened by rising
global uncertainty, warns UN report
1 May – Warning that despite a broadly positive economic outlook for
2017, Asia-Pacific economies are vulnerable to rising global
uncertainty and trade protectionism, the United Nations social and
economic development arm in the region has called for better
governance and stronger fiscal management to sustain and improve
economic growth.
Workers at a construction site in Binh Thuan province, Viet Nam.
Photo: ILO/Nguyen Viet Thanh
In its latest edition of the Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the
Pacific, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the
Pacific (UNESCAP) noted that though the region's developing
economies are projected to grow at 5.0 and 5.1 per cent in 2017 and
2018, respectively, a steeper-than-anticipated increase in risks could
reduce average growth this year by up to 1.2 percentage points.
“As we enter the second year of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development, economic growth in Asia-Pacific economies is steady but modest amid prolonged weak external demand and
rising trade protectionism,” said Shamshad Akhtar, the Executive Secretary of UNESCAP, in a news release announcing
the findings.
“Future economic growth will need to rely more on productivity gains [which], in turn, will require effective institutions and
better governance, in both public and private spheres,” she added.
Overcoming such challenges is also important given the importance of governance for effective resource mobilization to
advance the 2030 Agenda.
According to UNESCAP, economic expansion has been accompanied by rising income inequality with inadequate creation
of “decent jobs” in the region, which trails the world in social protection coverage. Furthermore, its study has shown that
developing Asia-Pacific economies use twice as many resources per dollar of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as the rest of
the world.
“When institutions are weak, inequalities tend to increase and the pace of poverty reduction declines,” noted the UN AsiaPacific development arm, adding: “The quality of governance also affects environmental outcomes, as reflected in […]
environmental rules and safeguards, and initiate ecological innovation and technological transfer.”
To address such challenges, UNESCAP has called for effective governance, including a proactive fiscal policy through
productive investments in such areas as infrastructure, social protection and resource efficiency.
Effective governance can also for example, improve health outcomes in the Pacific, promote economic diversification in
north and central Asia, create “decent jobs” in south and south-west Asia, reduce development gaps in south-east Asia, and
accelerate ecological innovation in east and north-east Asia.
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On International Day, UNESCO spotlights power of jazz to
promote dialogue among cultures
30 April – Marking International Jazz Day, the United Nations
cultural agency today stressed the power of jazz to unite people and its
contribution to peace.
“Today, we celebrate the international art form of jazz and its power
to promote dialogue among cultures, to make the most of diversity, to
deepen respect for human rights and all forms of expression,” said UN
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Director-General Irina Bokova in her message on the Day.
Ms. Bokova quoted Nina Simone as saying that “jazz is not just
music, it is a way of life, it is a way of being, a way of thinking.”
(Left-right) Wayne Shorter, Dhafer Youssef and Ben Williams
perform on stage during the International Jazz Day 2015 Global
Concert at UNESCO on April 30, 2015 in Paris, France. (Photo by
Kristy Sparow/Getty Images for Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz)
Today, we celebrate the international art form of jazz and its power to
promote dialogue among cultures, to make the most of diversity, to
deepen respect for human rights and all forms of expression.
“The story of jazz is written into the quest for human dignity, democracy and civil rights,” Ms. Bokova said, noting that its
rhythms and variety have given strength to the struggle against all forms of discrimination and racism.
The Cuban capital of Havana is hosting this year's celebration of International Jazz Day, reflecting the city's profound ties to
jazz. Hometown of renowned bandleaders, Mario Bauzá and Frank 'Machito' Grillo, the city and, more broadly, Cuba's
thriving musical culture gave birth to the Afro-Cuban jazz movement, inspired by a great mix of cultures and peoples across
the region.
The celebration features an all-star global concert that displays the world's greatest talents from Cuba, Latin America and
around the world, including legendary jazz pianist and composer UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Intercultural
Dialogue, Herbie Hancock, and Cuban jazzman, Chucho Valdés.
Angola: UN agency airlifts aid to newly-arrived refugees from
DR Congo
30 April – A plane carrying relief items has arrived in Luanda,
Angola, to assist over 11,000 people who fled a recent surge violence
in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the United Nations
refugee agency said today.
The aircraft landed Sunday morning from Dubai, carrying 3,500
plastic sheets as well as 100 plastic rolls to provide shelter during the
rainy season, 17,000 sleeping mats, 16,902 thermal fleece blankets,
8,000 mosquito nets, 3,640 kitchen sets, 8,000 jerry cans and 4,000
plastic buckets. The Office of the UN High Commissioners for
Refugees (UNHCR) will be airlifting more relief items to Angola in
coming days.
UNHCR staff at Mussungue reception centre, north-west Angola,
distribute food supplies including maize, rice, beans, oil, salt and
sardines to Congolese refugees who fled an eruption of violence in
Kasai region. © UNHCR/Adronico Marcos Lucamba
UN News Centre • www.un.org/news
“Arrivals are in urgent need of life-saving assistance including food,
water, shelter and medical services,” said Sharon Cooper, UNHCR
Regional Representative for Southern Africa in a press release.
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1 May 2017
“UNHCR is also procuring food locally to support the most vulnerable persons including children, pregnant women and
elderly.”
The brutal conflict in DRC's previously peaceful Kasai region has already displaced more than one million civilians within
the country since it began in mid-2016.
The border is managed by the Angolan army. UNHCR has requested the Government to allow refugees to continue crossing
the border, provide unhindered access to assist new arrivals, as well as not to return people fleeing the violence to the DRC.
Angola is currently hosting some 56,700 refugees and asylum-seekers, of whom close to 25,000 are from the DRC.
UNHCR Angola had an initial annual budget of $2.5 million to protect and assist some 46,000 people of concern. In
response to the current emergency, UNHCR is appealing for a total of $5.5 million to provide immediate lifesaving
assistance.
South Sudan: UN urges all sides to cease hostilities; regional
force starts to arrive
29 April – Disturbed by the escalation of violence and subsequent
suffering of civilians in South Sudan as a result of the recent
government offensive, the United Nations today urged the
Government and other warring parties to cease hostilities, uphold their
responsibility to protect civilians.
“The renewed upsurge in fighting represents a callous and blatant
disregard of the pledges made during the 25 March 2017 IGAD
[Intergovernmental Authority on Development] summit to implement
a ceasefire and to facilitate humanitarian access,” said a statement
issued overnight by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the UN
Secretary-General.
Continuous fighting around the Jonglei State capital Bor has driven
an estimated 136,000 South Sudanese civilians across the River Nile
into Awerial County in Lakes State. Photo: UNMISS/Wade Mageng
The statement also urged all sides to cooperate with the UN and other
humanitarian actors to ensure safe access to all civilians in imminent
danger along the West Bank of the River Nile.
“There can be no military solution to the crisis in South Sudan,” the statement emphasized, expressing hope that regional
and international partners will join in encouraging the parties to return urgently to the negotiating table.
The United Nations remains committed to working with the African Union and IGAD to secure a peaceful resolution of the
conflict, the statement added.
Meanwhile, the first elements of the Regional Protection Force of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) have started
to arrive in the country, according to a note to correspondends issued today by the Mission.
The deployment of the 4,000-strong force was authorized by the UN Security Council in its Resolution 2304 (2016).
UNMISS says the force will provide protection to key facilities in the nation's capital, Juba, and the main routes into and out
of the city. It will also strengthen the security of UN protection of civilians’ sites and other UN premises.
The deployment of the force, to be staged over coming months, would free existing UNMISS peacekeepers to extend their
presence to conflict-affected areas beyond Juba.
Despite the August 2015 peace agreement, South Sudan slipped back into conflict due to renewed clashes between rival
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forces – the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) loyal to President Salva Kiir and the SPLA in Opposition backing
former First Vice-President Riek Machar.
At a Security Council meeting earlier this week, David Shearer, the Secretary-General's Special Representative and the
head of UNMISS, noted that the opposition has since splintered, making it necessary for UN peacebuilding efforts to be
more widely cast than previously. He reiterated the need for a political solution.
FEATURE: Mission Accomplished – UN Operation in Côte
d’Ivoire
1 May – After 13 years, the United Nations is completing the
peacekeeping phase of its engagement with Côte d'Ivoire, after
successfully assisting the country in restoring peace and stability
following the post-2010 election crisis.
When the UN Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) closes its doors on
30 June of this year, it will mark the most recent successful
completion of a peacekeeping operation in West Africa since the UN
mission in Sierra Leone in 2005.
This milestone was made possible thanks to a significantly improved
security situation in Côte d’Ivoire, as well as the extension of State
authority and the deployment of public services, the strengthening of
democratic institutions, progress in security sector reform and steady
economic development.
UNOCI officers conduct a disarmament, demobilization and
reintegration operation with ex-combatants in the Abobo area of
Abidjan in February 2012. UN Photo/Hien Macline
Headed most recently by the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Aïchatou Mindaoudou, the civilian and military
personnel of UNOCI played a critical role in the country, including with regard to protecting civilians, monitoring the
ceasefire, assisting the Government with disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of former combatants, and
countering hate messages on the airwaves with UNOCI FM.
UNOCI is in the process of delegating to the UN country team critical tasks necessary to ensure the sustainability of the
gains achieved so far.
UN Special Representative Aïchatou Mindaoudou and local residents highlight the vital contributions UNOCI made in
restoring peace and security in the nation.
Boots on the ground
In 2004 the country was divided in half by a civil war. Due to the lack of State authority, the Security Council
adopted resolution 1528, establishing UNOCI for an initial 12-month period. One of the mission’s initial tasks was to
monitor and support the peace agreement signed by the Ivorian parties the previous year.
Zone of Confidence
Another primary duty was to monitor the Zone of Confidence – a swathe of land that separated the Government-ruled south
and opposition-controlled north – while restoring trust between the parties to reunite the country.
In 2007, under the Ouagadougou Political Agreement, UNOCI set up 17 observation posts called the "Green Line" –
replacing the Zone of Confidence – that remained in place until July 2008, when the last post had been eliminated.
Locked in battle
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Throughout the years, UNOCI was called on to respond to numerous challenges. In January 2006, pro-government youth
protesters took to the streets after a UN-authorized team supported terminating the Parliament, whose mandate had expired.
After four days of violent protests in which UN humanitarian and peacekeeping facilities were targeted, hundreds of UN
personnel were evacuated.
The Security Council then decided to boost UNOCI’s strength with the temporary deployment of an additional battalion
from the UN mission in Liberia.
Then in 2010, the country was thrust back into civil war when incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo refused to step down
after losing the UN-certified election to Alassane Ouattara. Throughout a period of increased fighting, UNO CI continued to
protect civilians, even as it was itself being targeted.
Mr. Gbagbo eventually surrendered and Mr. Ouattara was inaugurated as president in May of 2011, but not before some
3,000 people were killed in the post-election violence and another 300,000 became refugees.
UNOCI facilitated an inclusive political dialogue, which culminated in two presidential and legislative elections in 2011 and
2016, and a referendum. Among its other achievements, the mission strengthened the National Commission on Human
Rights, which helped decrease human rights violations, and helped to disarm 70,000 combatants and re-integrate them into
society.
The UN Daily News is prepared at UN Headquarters in New York by the News Services Section
of the News and Media Division, Department of Public Information (DPI)