Message of the Special Representative of the United Nations

 Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire, Bert Koenders 

(Abidjan, 4 June

2013) 

"The United

Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon has given me new responsibilities

which I have accepted. In doing me the honour of designating me his Special

Representative for Mali, the Secretary-General has asked me to start working on

establishing a multidimensional integrated Mission for the Stabilisation of Mali

(MINUSMA) created by the UN Security Council on 25 April this year and which

will start deploying from 1st July 2013.

During the

audience which the Prime Minister of the Government of Côte d'Ivoire, Daniel

Kablan Duncan, did me the honour of granting me on the eve of my departure for

Mali on Monday, 3 June 2013, I told him what a great privilege it was for me to

have served the Ivorian people and Government for the last 18 months as Special

Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General by supporting their

efforts on the road to peace and economic revival.

I also told

him of my optimism for the future of the country and how confident I was that

the remaining challenges will be met, thanks to the efforts of Ivorians and

their Government, with the support of their partners, including the United

Nations.

Côte d'Ivoire

has come a long way. I am happy to have witnessed the path it has followed in

during the past two years and the important efforts deployed by Ivorians and

their leaders, under the leadership of President Alassane Ouattara, to stabilise

the security situation, normalise institutions and revive the economy. The main

areas of essential reform have been launched in the sectors of security,

disarmament, demobilisation and reinsertion of ex-combatants, justice and social

and economic reform.

The country

has been through profound changes. It is now essential for this progress to

become visible to everyone and for their effects to be felt by as many people as

possible. These reforms must therefore be strengthened. I am confident that Côte

d'Ivoire will consolidate the achievements it has made in the past two years and

will face the remaining challenges with courage and determination and will pay

urgent attention to the development of a culture of peace, an inclusive process,

solidarity and fairness in overcoming them.

I appeal to

the Government and all Ivorian actors to focus together and without delay in

dealing with the deep rooted causes of the successive conflicts which have

shaken the country, such as the issues of land ownership and identity. This is

because it is only the Government that can manage the intrinsic link between

security, land conflict, reconciliation, equal justice, especially in the west

of Côte d'Ivoire, which remains fragile, and give it the priority it needs.

After a

decade of a complex crisis, a violent post-electoral crisis which cost the lives

of more than 3000 people, Ivorians aspire to living in peace, in a stable and

prosperous country, where security, well-being, fundamental rights and justice –

an impartial and equal justice – are guaranteed for everyone. I would like to

assure them that they will continue to benefit from the full support of the

United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire, the United Nations System and the

international community in their quest.

 Allow me to

wish you all the best and to tell you how much I appreciate your openess, the

enriching discussions, our partnerships, as well as the beauty of your culture

in all its diversity in all the different regions in the country. I am happy and

proud to have served the United Nations in your beautiful country; I sincerely

hope I have made some contribution to the positive improvement in the lives of

all Ivorians, without exclusion or discrimination. I would now like to ask you

to allow me to take the road, or at least half of the road, since I will

continue to serve for peace in your region, in neighbouring Mali.

I am happy to

continue to work closely with the Economic Community of West African States

(ECOWAS) and its president, the President of Côte d'Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara. I

am also happy to work with the African Union and all the partners who are

committed to finding a peaceful resolution of the crisis in Mali. It is a

mission with many challenges which we should certainly undertake because we are

pursuing a common objective which is to see a stable Mali at peace with itself

and with the dignity and rights of its people restored by starting with the most

fundamental right – respect for each other.