Ivory Coast, 2007

Allow me at the outset to congratulate the Secretary-General,

Mr. Ban Ki-moon, on the quality of the intensive work

done in such a short period of time at the head of the

United Nations. I would like to congratulate him

sincerely and to encourage him on his correct

assessment of the world’s present problems.

This is the first time that I am taking part in the

General Assembly in my seven years at the head of

Cote d'Ivoire. As members know, I am fully committed

to resolving the crisis gripping my country and which

has so mobilized the international community over the

past five years. My presence, today, here in New York,

at this rostrum, is the best proof of the climate of calm

prevailing in Cote d'Ivoire today, following the signing

of the Ouagadougou political agreement, which was

the outcome of direct dialogue between the State and

the former rebels.

That agreement was endorsed by the Security

Council which unanimously adopted resolution 1765

(2007). On behalf of the people of Cote d'Ivoire, I

wish to thank and to greet all who were involved in

these positive developments: the countries members of

the Security Council, the countries members of the

African Union Peace and Security Council, all the

countries of the African Union and the countries

members of the Economic Community of West African

States (ECOWAS). In particular, I thank the heads of

State whose personal involvement was key in resolving

the crisis in Cote d'Ivoire: President Thabo Mbeki,

mediator in the Ivorian crisis appointed by the African

Union, and President Blaise Compaoré, facilitator for

the direct inter-Ivorian dialogue, as current Chairman

of ECOWAS.

We have noted that despite the international

community’s efforts over the previous four years, the

peace process was blocked and the country was at a

standstill. That is why, on 19 December 2006, I

suggested to my compatriots a way out of the crisis,

focusing on five points: first, the establishment of

direct dialogue with the rebels, aimed at disarmament

and the reunification of the country; secondly, the

removal of the Zone of Confidence; thirdly, the

establishment of a national service programme;

fourthly, a general amnesty; and finally, the

establishment of an assistance programme for the

return of persons displaced by the war. That plan was

based on the experience of solutions considered up

until then, but with a completely different approach, in

order to ensure complete ownership of the peace

process by the Ivorians themselves.

I thus took up direct dialogue with the rebels. Our

discussions, through the facilitation of President Blaise

Compaoré, took place in neighbouring Burkina Faso,

the West African country with the closest historical and

sociological ties with Cote d'Ivoire. Those discussions

led to the signing on 4 March 2007 of the

Ouagadougou political agreement.

In accordance with that agreement, a new

Government was established. It is headed by the

former rebel leader, Mr. Guillaume Soro. With this

Government, we have made considerable progress in a

short period of time. An integrated command centre,

bringing together soldiers from the national armed

forces and from the former rebel forces, was

established on 16 March 2007. Its mission is to set up a

joint force entrusted with ensuring security and the free

movement of individuals and goods throughout the

national territory. A general amnesty order was issued

on 11 April 2007. Disarmament effectively began with

the 30 July 2007 “peace bonfire” in Bouaké. The

redeployment of the administration and reinstatement

of magistrates throughout the territory has now taken

place. A plan for the return of those displaced by the

war has been put in place. Mobile courts to identify

members of the population and update electoral lists

began yesterday, Tuesday, 25 September 2007. We

have made major strides towards peace since the

Ouagadougou peace agreement.

The lesson I draw from this experience of direct

dialogue between State authorities and the rebels has

led me to invite the international community to favour

local solutions in the settlement of conflicts. The

United Nations in New York should make

arrangements to monitor the implementation of

solutions adopted by parties to a conflict.

Cote d'Ivoire will emerge from crisis. Côte

d’Ivoire is emerging from crisis. Today more than ever,

it needs the support of the international community to

build peace and stability within its borders and in the

West African subregion.

In this context, and given the climate of calm

prevailing in the country, I would like the United

Nations to revise downward the security rating. Phase

III no longer reflects reality.

In the same spirit, with the implementation of the

Ouagadougou agreement, today Cote d'Ivoire is

reunified and it is now up to the State to restore law

and order throughout the territory. The agreement

provides explicitly that in the redeployment of

administrators, the forces of law and order are to take

part in providing protection for administrative staff, as

well as for the citizen population. I appeal here for the

partial lifting of the weapons embargo so that the

Ivorian State can carry out its task of protecting

persons and goods.

Moreover, and in the present context of national

reconciliation, Ivorians remain concerned that

individual sanctions are still imposed on some of our

compatriots. Since the Ouagadougou Agreement, those

young people have put heart and soul into the search

for peace. For that reason I am formally asking the

United Nations, within the spirit and letter of the

Ouagadougou political Agreement (S/2007/144)

endorsed by resolution 1765 (2007) to lift the sanctions

imposed on Charles Blé Goudé, Eugène Djué and

Martin Kouakou Fofie.

Cote d'Ivoire is a sound country and our

management of public finance has made it possible for

the Ivorian State to function and to ensure a minimum

standard of living for its people. But the ongoing crisis

has ultimately led to a reduction in the financial

resources available to the State and has disrupted its

financial stability.

Today I am asking for assistance to help finance

the actions related directly to resolving the crisis,

namely: the civil service, mobile courts, general

elections, the return of those displaced by war and in

general, peacebuilding.

But beyond the short and medium-term actions,

Cote d'Ivoire requires international aid to strengthen

the basis for a more robust economic recovery in the

long-term. We must rebuild and strengthen our

community infrastructures. Our schools and health

centres were damaged during the war. We must rebuild

and strengthen our economic infrastructures roads,

railways, electric and water supply stations were

severely strained by the crisis.

All observers and all actors in the crisis in Côte

d’Ivoire agree that elections are the goal of the crisis

resolution process in Cote d'Ivoire. The holding of

transparent, free elections that are open to all is not

only a requirement under my political culture, but is,

above all a democratic requirement. Elections are proof

of good governance. I intend to make my country

Cote d'Ivoire a modern State that is, a State in

which people appoint their leaders through just and

transparent elections.

Democratic elections are a requirement for my

country in order to modernize our political life.

Elections are also required for our economic recovery.

We absolutely must reorganize the coming elections in

Cote d'Ivoire and hold them successfully in order to

restore confidence among economic actors in the

country and abroad.

Elections are a requirement as well for stability in

our country and in the subregion. We must organize

elections quickly to confer political legitimacy on

those who are exercising State power in order to

stabilize the society in Cote d'Ivoire and ensure

economic recovery in West Africa. Finally, elections

are a constitutional imperative. According to our

constitution, when exceptional circumstances make it

impossible to hold elections as was the case before

the country was reunified all institutions within the

Republic function solely with a view to holding

elections. For that reason, the elections must be

reorganized quickly so that we can move beyond this

constitutional, but exceptional situation.

For all those reasons, from this rostrum at the

United Nations I invite all friends of Cote d'Ivoire

throughout the world, but also and above all the

politicians, both men and women, Ivorians and all

peoples living in Cote d'Ivoire to become involved in

the peace process. I invite them to become fully

invested in the electoral process underway and to

contribute, each person according to his or her ability,

to national reconciliation and to peacebuilding.