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We are approaching the end of my visit here and I'm satisfied with the meetings I have held with the key players. As you know, a year after the signing of the Ouagadougou Peace Accord, I wanted to personally assess the progress made in Côte d'Ivoire's return to normalcy.

I would like to express the United Nations' appreciation for what has been achieved so far in the implementation of the Ouagadougou Agreement. I also met, on Tuesday, with President Compaoré, and congratulated him on the role that he continues to play in facilitating the process. But it is the shared resolve to move forward, of Ivorian stakeholders, notably President Gbagbo, Prime Minister Soro, political parties and Ivorians countrywide, that has made it possible to reach this point. I would like to consider it a point of no return and I urge all political leaders and their followers to live up to the Code of Good Conduct for political parties, which they signed in my presence yesterday.

We all know however that considerable challenges remain to be addressed. The road to the elections, to sustainable peace and reconciliation, may be treacherous and we should be vigilant. During my two days in Abidjan, I discussed how the United Nations can assist your country in managing these challenges and risks, and can support the completion of the remaining tasks under the Ouagadougou Agreement.

I have reiterated the crucial role that my Special Representative will play in certifying all stages of the electoral process, as mandated by the Security Council, and expressed the hope that all political actors will continue to support him in this important task. I urge Ivorian political stakeholders to strengthen the progress made in the past thirteen months. I invite them to intensify their efforts, so that current opportunities for peace today translate into realities of peace for all tomorrow.

Restoring peace and prosperity to Cote d'Ivoire, which was regional economic hub until the start of the crisis, is crucial in helping the whole of Africa strive for the Millennium Development Goals. I stressed this in my discussion with President Gbagbo and he agrees that peace is essential to economic development. He promised to do his utmost to set the country back on the road to prosperity and I pledged the United Nations' support toward that goal. We also agreed to continue our discussion on both the peace process and the MDG's when he attends the General Assembly this September in New York

I'll stop here and take your questions. Thank you very much.

LE SECRETAIRE GENERAL

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POINT DE PRESSE

CÅŒTE D'IVOIRE

Conférence de presse de clôture au siege de l'ONUCI,

Abidjan, le 24 Avril 2008

Mesdames et Messieurs,

Nous approchons de la fin de ma visite en Côte d'Ivoire et je suis satisfait des réunions que j'ai tenues avec les principaux protagonistes de la crise ivoirienne. Comme vous le savez, un an après la signature de l'Accord de paix de Ouagadougou, je tenais en me rendre ici afin de me d'observer de près les progrès accomplis vers un retour à la normale en Côte d'Ivoire.

Je tiens à souligner que les Nations-Unies se félicitent du progrès réalisé jusqu'ici dans la mise en oeuvre de l'Accord de Ouagadougou. J'ai également rencontré, ce mardi, le Président Compaoré et l'ai félicité du rôle qu'il continue de jouer pour faciliter le processus de paix. Cependant, c'est la volonté commune d'aller de l'avant des acteurs ivoiriens, en particulier le Président Gbagbo, le Premier ministre Soro, les partis politiques et du peuple ivoirien lui-même, qui nous a permis de réaliser cette avancée. Je veux pouvoir croire que ce progrès marque un point de non-rétour. Je prie instamment tous les dirigeants politiques et leurs partisans à respecter le code de bonne conduite pour les partis politiques, qui été signé hier en ma présence.

Ceci étant, nous ne pouvons ignorer l'ampleur des défis considérables qu'il reste à surmonter. La voie vers les élections, vers la paix durable et la réconciliation, peut être dangereuse et nous devons être vigilants. Au cours de mes deux jours à Abidjan, j'ai aussi discuté de la façon dont l'ONU peut aider votre pays dans la gestion de ces défis et des risques. J'ai également eu à discuter de comment les Nations-Unies pourraient appoter leur appui à l'accomplissement des tâches restantes dans le processus de mise en oeuvre complet de l'Accord de Ouagadougou.

J'ai aussi rappelé à tous mes interlocuteurs le rôle crucial que mon Représentant spécial jouera dans la certification de toutes les étapes du processus électoral, conformément au mandat qui nous été confié par le Conseil de sécurité, J'ai aussi exprimé l'espoir que tous les acteurs politiques vont continuer à soutenir mon Représentant spécial dans cette cruciale tâche. J'exhorte donc les acteurs politiques ivoiriens a solidifier les progrès réalisés pendant ces treize derniers mois. Je les invite à intensifier leurs efforts, de sorte que le potentiel actuel de retour de la paix se traduise en une réalité concrete de paix.

Rétablir la paix et la prospérité en Côte d'Ivoire, qui jusqu'au début de la crise était la plaque tournante de la région, est extrêmement important pour d''ensemble des pays africains vers la réalisation des Objectifs du devéloppement du Millénaire. Je l'ai souligné dans mes discussions avec le Président Gbagbo et il est d'accord avec moi que la paix est essentielle au développement économique. Dans ce cadre, il a promis de faire tout son possible pour mettre le pays sur la voie de la prospérité et je me suis engagé, au nom des Nations Unies, a lui apporter l'appui necessaire vers cet objectif. Nous avons également convenu de poursuivre nos discussions, autant sur le processus de paix que sur les Objectifs du Millénaire quand il assistera à l'Assemblée générale en septembre prochain à New York

Je vais m'arrêter ici et prendre vos questions. Merci beaucoup.

Q: [translated from french) You met this morning the President of the Independent Electoral Commission who said that you discussed the issue of certification of the elections. We would like to know what the benchmarks are by which the United Nations will validate or invalidate the forthcoming presidential and other elections.

SG: As you know, my Special Representative Ambassador Choi was mandated by the UN Security Council to certify all stages of the electoral process and he has agreed with [the Ivorian parties and the Facilitator] on five criteria for the certification process. I am quite confident that he will deliver on his responsibilities.

Q:[translated from french) Mr. the Secretary-General, I want to know if, after your two-day visit here, funds will now be disbursed to support the electoral process because, before your arrival, some argued that there were not enough funds from the international community, including the UN, would generate the necessary money.

SG: The government has officially announced that elections will be held on November 30th. It is a very good decision, a crucial decision, a very important announcement. And I congratulated President Gbagbo on this development when we met. I applaud his determination to press ahead with the democratization process. I also spoke with President Gbagbo and Prime Minister Soro of the crucial importance of the elections and that they take place as planned.

I remain concerned, however, that many unforeseen obstacles could arise along the way, so I encouraged President Gbagbo not to let this process be hindered in any way and I have urged him and the Prime Minister to press ahead despite any obstacle that may arise. He said he was firmly determined to do just that, and he assured me of his determination to respect the timeline established. You raised the question of funding. It seems to me that this has already been addressed. I think the international community must make a contribution to the process. By the way, you know that yesterday I took part in the signing of an agreement between you're the donor community and your Government. It is a very important commitment for both sides. With that, the government should be able to proceed smoothly toward the elections. Of course, it remains crucial that the international community continue to support this effort.

Q: [translated from the french) Mr. Secretary General, despite progress in implementing the Ouagadougou Agreement, many continue to voice serious reservations about peace in Cote d'Ivoire, including some international organizations which have denounced violations of human rights and have demanded UN sanctions against certain known political actors. So I would like to know, during your visit, whether or not you raised this issue of rights violations.

SG: The promotion and protection of human rights constitute a basic principle of the rule of law as inscribed by the international community at the heart of the Charter of the United Nations. In all my meetings with all leaders throughout the world, especially in African countries, I have always stressed the importance of human rights. As you know, this year marks the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Unfortunately, despite this, we continue to witness serious violations of the rights of certain vulnerable segments of the world population, namely women and children. This is unacceptable. It happens all too often in situations of conflict. Human rights violations are never acceptable under any circumstances, impunity must be firmly combated. So I am strongly committed, as Secretary General, to do my best to promote and protect human rights, especially to protect women and children against sexual abuse.

Q: [translated from french) Mr. Secretary General, I would like to return to the issue of sanctions. Is it true that in your meeting with the Head of State you raised the question of lifting sanctions on some Ivorian civil society leaders and some [former rebel] Forces Nouvelles officials?

SG: That is a matter for the Security Council to determine. Meanwhile, as I have said earlier, any rights violations, especially sexual abuse, be it by UN peacekeepers or members of the Forces Nouvelles, is not acceptable. I insist on applying a Zero Tolerance policy on sexual violence. As you know, we cannot always disclose details of my discussions with world leaders. However, I can tell you that I talked about the fact that impunity is not acceptable and for me it is very important.

As this is the last question, I would like to take the opportunity to make a final brief remark in my personal capacity: I would like to say that during my stay here, I was very impressed and very encouraged by the will of your leaders, your national institutions, and your people to end the crisis. I saw a firm resolve to overcome the social and political problems and I have also been encouraged by the fact that you are all determined to press ahead toward that end. It is after all your own desire to end of the conflict that matters most, and the United Nations will always be there to support you. My Special Representative is here to support your efforts, which are already enormous, to end the crisis. Cote d'Ivoire must regain the trust of the international community through transparent elections, through stability, and so you can promote economic development. Without stability, it is not possible to achieve economic development.

This morning I met with members of the Independent Electoral Commission and I urged them to do their best to ensure that these elections are conducted in a transparent, fair and democratic manner. This is the only way to have a fair political environment in which the will of the people is clearly and truthfully represented. The Commission members assured me of their resolve to ensure that the process is fair and transparent. So, I leave this country with much appreciation for what you have achieved and your resolve to end the crisis.

Thank you very much.