The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire, Mrs Aïchatou Mindaoudou, on Tuesday, 10 November 2015, in Abidjan, took part in the opening ceremony of a training workshop on international rights and human rights for personnel working with the Mediator of the Republic, along with the head of the national institution Mr. N'Golo Coulibaly and some 20 participants.



Speaking on the occasion, the Special Representative said: « When a citizen believes that his or her rights have not been respected by the public administration, he or she can contact your service in the hope that he or she can recover those rights (...) In Côte d'Ivoire where the National Mediator also has a role in helping to reinforce social cohesion, his mission becomes even more important".



In addition, Mrs Mindaoudou highlighted the contribution of the institution of the National Mediator in the prevention of human rights violations, the fight against discrimination and in ensuring that victims of human rights violations and discrimination are taken care of.



{"Experience has shown that fighting against these two things gives victims the opportunity to have their cases examined and obtain compensation for any injustice which is important for democracy and the rule of law,"} said the head of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI).



The two-day workshop, which is being organized by UNOCI's Human Rights Division, will provided participants with the opportunity to discuss several themes aimed at strengthening participants knowledge on international rights and human rights. The themes are divided into four sessions dealing with Understanding Human Rights ; The Institution of the National Mediator and the Protection of Human Rights; the National Mediator's Role in Promoting and Protecting Human Rights and a forum with the Independent Expert for the Strengthening of Human Rights capacity in Côte d'Ivoire, Mr. Mohamed Ayat. The fourth session with Mr. Ayat aims to explain clearly the mandate of the Independent Expert and establish continued collaboration between the National Mediator and the Independent Expert.



For his part, the National Mediator, Mr. N'Golo Coulibaly thanked UNOCI for having initiated the training workshop for his personnel through its Human Rights Division. {« Even if the main mission of the National Mediator is conflict management, he is above all else a sentinel who watches over the functioning of society in general and the public administration » he said, adding that "the role of the National Mediator is to ensure the preservation and strengthening of social cohesion by promoting and defending human rights»}.