Abidjan, 28 May 2009 ........ The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Côte d'Ivoire, YJ Choi, received the Director of UNICEF's Regional Office for West and Central Africa, Dr. Gianfranco Rotigliano, in Abidjan on Thursday.

After the meeting, Dr Rotigliano explained that his aim was to discuss the situation in Côte d'Ivoire with Mr. Choi, who heads both UNOCI and the UN system in Côte d'Ivoire, in order to better understand his vision and have a better idea of the perspectives proposed in this end-of-crisis period. "We, as UNICEF, must make our contribution to the development of the country and to peacekeeping, and we have to work in harmony with UNOCI," he said.

Dr. Rotigliano elaborated on UNICEF's contribution to development, recalling that his agency is involved in education and the health of children and women, among other things, and hoped to have a better visibility in order to carry out fruitful actions in the areas it covers. This was especially important, he said, because, for now, "all Côte d'Ivoire's indicators have deteriorated and we are working to make these indicators begin to move back up".

To this end, he seized the opportunity of his presence in Côte d'Ivoire to meet the Ivorian authorities, in particular the ministers of Planning and Health, Dr. Rotigliano said, stressing that he discussed with them ways to place women and children at the heart of the country's anti-poverty strategy and its development.

The discussions also focused on restructuring the health services and improving the education system, he said, because « there are many things to be done, and we are there to help the Ivorian Government ».