Highlight

- SRSG Choi discusses Resolution 1865 with PDCI leader
- Thousands attend UNOCI forum in Oumé

Political

The Special Representative of Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire (SRSG), Y.J. Choi today met with the President of the Democratic Party of Côte d'Ivoire (PDCI), Henri Konan Bedié, as part of his series of meetings to brief Ivorian political leaders on the Security Council meetings on Cote d'Ivoire held in New York last week. Mr. Choi told journalists afterwards that the discussions had focused on the third point of Resolution 1865 which demanded that the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) should establish an electoral timetable which included the main stages of the process. The SRSG said that the timetable was necessary for the well-being of Ivorians and to allow UNOCI and the international community to plan their programme of assistance for the process.

Information and sensitisation

Some 2000 people today attended a civil society forum held by UNOCI in Oumé, 80 km from Yamoussoukro in the centre west of Côte d'Ivoire. During the event, which was organised on the theme "The people of Oumé commit to peace and national reconciliation", the Mayor praised UNOCI's work to promote peace and reconciliation in the country. He said that though his city had not suffered much during the Ivorian crisis, the peace that existed between the different communities had been reinforced due to UNOCI's activities.

Military

In preparation for security provisions for forthcoming elections in Côte d'Ivoire, peacekeepers from UNOCI and UNMIL met on the border town of Logouatu in Liberia to discuss operations, logistics and legal issues related to the reinforcement of UNOCI's force during the elections.

Arms Embargo

UNOCI peacekeepers yesterday successfully carried out arms embargo inspections at the Defence and Security Forces' (FDSCI) gendarmerie brigades in Niable, near Abengourou (east) and Gagnoa (centre west), at its brigade routiere in Yamoussoukro as well as at the Armed Forces of the Forces Nouvelles' (FAFN) unit in Pogo, near Ferkessedougou (north).

Human Rights

The Regional Human Rights Office in Daloa (centre west) on 28 January 2009, conducted a human rights training workshop for 160 members of the human rights club at the Lycée municipal in Issia, 43 km south of Daloa. The session focused on "students' rights and peace in schools" with a view to creating a school environment free from violence and conducive to peace. In this regard, the Office advocated the adoption of a national charter on students' rights and duties and distributed human rights material documents, including copies of the International Convention on Child Rights and the Ivorian Constitution.

On the same day, the Regional Human Rights Office in Bondoukou conducted a human rights workshop on the theme "Democracy and Human Rights" for 30 members of a local NGO called "Organisation des Femmes Actives de Côte d'Ivoire" (OFACI) in Tanda, near Bondoukou (east), in collaboration with the "Comité Local de Suivi des Actions pour la Paix" (CLSP). Issues such as human rights and elections, women's participation in the electoral process and education to citizenship, were highlighted.

The Human Rights Division (HRD) participated in a workshop organised by UNESCO, the National Human Rights Commission, the Ministry of Education and ECOWAS on the theme "Education to Peace and Human Rights, citizenship, democracy, inter cultural understanding and regional integration". The HRD made a presentation on its role in fostering the implementation of the National Plan of Action of the World Programme for Human Rights Education by the Ministry of Education. At the end of the seminar it was decided that a technical committee would be established, under the leadership of the Minister of Education, to define national priorities in this field and a national strategy to implement the action plan.