Message of the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Côte d’Ivoire, Bert Koenders
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.