Abidjan, 18 May 2012... A delegation of representatives of the 15 members of the United Nations Security Council is expected to arrive in Abidjan on the afternoon of Sunday 20 May 2012 for a three-day visit to Côte d'Ivoire, the second leg of a mission to West Africa that also includes Liberia and Sierra Leone.

While in Côte d'Ivoire, the Council will assess, among other things, progress made in the areas of security sector reform and the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of ex-combatants, the security situation and the humanitarian situation, especially along the border with Liberia. It will also look into local and national reconciliation, good governance, the fight against impunity and the consolidation of rule of law, particularly justice.

Within the framework of this visit, meetings are scheduled on Monday 21 May with the Ivorian authorities, including the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the National Assembly and the representatives of parliamentary groups and commissions as well as officials of the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI) and representatives of other entities of the United Nations system.

The delegation will also meet the Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation Commission (CDRV) as well as leaders of political parties and civil society, and will participate on Monday afternoon in a high-level meeting with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

On Tuesday, the Council will take a close look at the security and humanitarian situation on the ground and meet the population.

The Security Council is expected in Freetown, the last stage of its mission in the region, on the morning of Wednesday 23 May.
It is scheduled to hold a press conference at the Hotel Ivoire in Abidjan on Monday 21 May at 06:00 PM, following its meeting with ECOWAS.