Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire and Chief of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), Mrs Aïchatou Mindaoudou on 21 July 2014, took part in a ceremony to officially launch the work of the Committee of National Experts for the fight against sexual violence linked to conflict. Together with the Chief of Staff of the Ivorian Army, General Soumaila Bakayoko, and the Resident Representative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Mrs Konaté Suzanne Maiga, she presented diplomas to members of the committee.



The creation of a committee of experts from the Forces Républicaines de Côte d'Ivoire (FRCI) comes in the aftermath of the Declaration of Commitment of Côte d'Ivoire at the London Summit in June 2014 to put an end to sexual violence in conflict situation.



"This ceremony to officially launch the Committee of National Experts on this problem must serve as an opportunity to share our intention and our objective with civil society, the actors fighting against this issue and the international committee, to ensure that we put an end to these crimes once and for all," said General Bakayoko. In this regard, he urged members of the Committee of National Experts to fully accomplish their mission to ensure that Côte d'Ivoire no longer appears on the list of countries of the United Nations Secretary-General's annual report on sexual violence in conflict situation. Thanking all the partners who have supported the FRCI since 2011, General Bakayoko expressed the hope that they will continue to provide assistance to ensure that the objective of "zero" cases of sexual violence committed in the defence and security sectors in Côte d'Ivoire becomes a reality.



The UNFPA Representative highlighted the assistance provided by the United Nations, including the joint organisation of two workshops in September 2013. In November 2011, UNOCI's Human Rights Division organised the first training session for members of the FRCI. According to Mrs Maiga, the training included a module on sexual violence which was supported by UNFPA. She also explained that following a request from the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General Against Sexual Violence in Conflict Situation, a pilot project of training modules on the prevention and response to sexual violence in conflict situation for national security institutions was drawn up and concluded in partnership with the Kofi Annan Peacekeeping Training Centre in Accra. Côte d'Ivoire participated in this first activity in Accra in 2012. This in turn led to the country being selected to try out the training modules. The Military Medical chief, Brigadier-General Akissi Kouamé is president of the Committee of National Experts.