The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire, Aïchatou Mindaoudou, had discussions with the President of Côte d'Ivoire, Alassane Ouattara on Wednesday, 1 July 2015.

The discussions focused on several issues, including United Nations Security Council Resolution 2226 (2015) which extended the mandate of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) to protect civilians, accompany the Ivorian authorities in the ongoing processes in the country and the renewal of the Special Representative's Good Offices.



Speaking to the press after the meeting, the head of UNOCI said that she had presented the contents of the mandate to the Ivorian Head of State. This included the finalising of the Disarmament, Demobilisation and Reinsertion (DDR) of ex-combattants process, Security Sector Reform (SSR), strengthening Human Rights, as well as the Mission's accompanying role in elections as requested by the Ivorian Government.



« The Special Representative's Good Offices mandate was also renewed, » said Mrs Mindaoudou. She took the opportunity to appeal to all Ivorians to take their responsibility seriously and put the general interest before everything, particularly during this period of organising presidential election in October 2015.



With regard to the Special Representative's Good Offices mandate, President Ouattara thanked the Head of UNOCI for the actions she has carried out among politicians, which the Head of State said had led to the resumption of dialogue with the Opposition. « The dialogue continues and I think that it is excellent to have maximum consultations before the presidential election on 25 October », said the Ivorian President. He also said the time had come for the different political parties to hold discussions with him.