Deputy Special Representative of UN Secretary-General for Cote d'Ivoire, Arnauld Akodjenou on Wednesday 19 March 2014 presided over two separate ceremonies to hand over office equipment and materials donated to the Ivorian police and gendarmerie by the UN System in Cote d'Ivoire.



The UN initiative is aimed at supporting the restoration of public order and state authority through capacity-building and the rehabilitation of buildings housing public security services which were damaged and looted during the post electoral crisis in 2011.

These projects have been funded by the UN Peacebuilding Fund and the Quick Impact Projects programme of the UN Operation in Cote d'Ivoire (UNOCI) in order to facilitate the redeployment of public security services in sensitive areas such as the west, south-west and south and to enable them to efficiently perform their duty to maintain of law and order, protect people and property, reestablish confidence between the population and government services by facilitating access to justice, and to assist the elaboration of a national strategy for security sector reform.



The Deputy Special Representative, on behalf of the Special Representative Mrs. Aichatou Mindaoudou, reiterated the importance of restoring state authority and the fact that UNOCI and the other UN agencies understand the need to

support Ivorians in restoring a police and gendarmerie at the service of the people. This donation ceremony follows a similar one recently presided over by Mrs. Mindaoudou in the west of the country.



Receiving the donation, the high Commander of the Gendarmerie, General Gervais Kouassi said the message has been understood and he has taken note of the renewal of support to Ivorian security forces by the UN System. "This donation comes as an addition to a long list of assistance given to the gendarmerie including the rehabilitation of 13 brigades and capacity-building

for gendarmes in various professional domains. I want to point out that all the brigades in the west were rehabilitated and equipped and this has enabled us to assert our professionalism with regard to the population, to reassure and inform them and to rapidly execute our duties," the General observed.

General Kouassi welcomed the excellent cooperation between the UN System and the Ivorian gendarmerie and gave assurances that the equipment would be put to good use.



Equipment and materials donated included 50 camp beds, a 50-seater tent, 20 computers and accessories.