SPECIAL SESSION OF HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL ON CÔTE D'IVOIRE CONCLUDES AFTER ADOPTING A RESOLUTION CALLING FOR END TO ALL HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

The Human Rights Council concluded its fourteenth Special Session today after adopting a resolution in which it strongly condemned human rights violations that had taken place in Côte d’Ivoire, including abductions, enforced or involuntary disappearances, arbitrary detentions, extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, acts of sexual violence, denial of right to peaceful assembly, the loss of lives and the acts of destruction of property that occurred in different parts of Côte d’Ivoire in relation to the conclusion of the 2010 presidential election.

The Council called upon all the relevant parties to immediately put an end to all human rights violations in Cote d’Ivoire and to fully respect all human rights and fundamental freedoms and the rule of law, and urged all parties to cooperate fully with the operations of the United Nations Office in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI), in its efforts to protect and promote human rights. Further, the Council requested the international community to assist in addressing the humanitarian consequences of the crisis, and stressed the importance for all Ivorians to spare no efforts towards national reconciliation thus contributing to the preservation of peace, security and promotion and protection of human rights in Cote d’Ivoire and to the strengthening of democratic institutions in the country, which were necessary to the entrenchment of lasting peace, rule of law, good governance and respect for human rights.

The Council requested the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to inform and present a report to the Council on the abuses and violations of human rights in Côte d’Ivoire in relation to the conclusion of the 2010 presidential election, as well as deciding to remain seized of the matter and to take appropriate measures if the human rights situation on the ground were to deteriorate.

Statements on the situation were heard during the morning meeting, at which representatives heard from Kyung-wha Kang, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, speaking on behalf of High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay, who reiterated the deep concerns of the High Commissioner, regarding the violations of human rights in Côte d’Ivoire. United Nations human rights officers were deployed across the country and were doing their utmost to monitor the situation and provide protection where they could. The Security Council had urged all Ivorian parties to respect the will of the people and the outcome of the election. The human rights violations must cease and the United Nations must be granted unfettered access to the population and perpetrators must be held accountable.

Member States of the Council and Observer States also spoke during the morning meeting, and expressed their deep concerns about the human rights situation in Côte d'Ivoire, in relation to the results of the 2010 presidential elections, and the violence which had led to loss of lives and property. It was imperative for the Human Rights Council to pronounce itself on the situation in the country and address the issue. The Council could not remain silent when there was growing evidence of massive violations of human rights. The renewing of the mandate of the United Nations’ mission in Côte d'Ivoire was indispensable to enable the United Nations and the international community at large to continue supporting the peace process and monitoring the increasingly alarming human rights situation. The intolerable acts of violence committed in Côte d'Ivoire must be subject to an inquiry and those responsible must be brought to justice.

The sixteenth regular session of the Council will be held from 28 February to 25 March 2011.


For use of the information media; not an official record

HRC10/126E