The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire and the Minister of State for Interior and Security, Hamed Bakayoko, on Tuesday, 19 November 2013, inaugurated the new Archives Centre in Abidjan Prefecture. The ceremony took place in the presence of the United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Safety and Security, Mbaranga Gasarabwe who has been in Côte d'Ivoire on a visit since Sunday, 18 November 2013,





The Special Representative said that the inauguration of the Archives Centre was an illustration of UNOCI's accompaniment of the Government of Côte d'Ivoire in the normalisation of the situation in the country. "You know that in a country which is going through a crisis-resolution process, one of the elements of its normalisation is the restoration of state authority," she explained. Mrs Mindaoudou also said that the project offered by UNOCI to the State of Côte d'Ivoire is an expression of the UN Mission's determination to continue to accompany it so that it can become a modern state in which the authority of the state has been restored so that it can find its place in the concert of Nations. 

For his part, Minister Bakayoko highlighted the importance of archives in the life of a country, as it represents the country's memory. "This Centre which has been rehabilitated is going to our services the opportunity to go much further in registering our archives," said the Minister of State, who thanks UNOCI for this "additional contribution to the normalisation of life in Côte d'Ivoire».

The rehabilitation and equipping of the Centre is part of UNOCI's Quick Impact Projects programme (QIPS). It consisted of the rehabilitation of the room where the archives are stored and the provision of equipment including computers. It will improve the archives service of Abidjan Prefecture from which some 10,000 users could benefit.