Attachments
S/2003/99
Letter dated 27 January 2003 from
the Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations addressed
to the President of the Security Council
At the invitation of the President of the French Republic, a round table of Ivoirian political forces met at Linas-Marcoussis from 15 to 23 January 2003. The round table adopted a reconciliation agreement, of which I have the honour to transmit to you a copy herewith (see annex I).
A Conference of Heads of State on Côte d'Ivoire then met at Paris on 25 and 26 January 2003, under the co-chairmanship of the President of the French Republic, the Chairman of the African Union and the Secretary-General of the United Nations. The Conference adopted Conclusions, a copy of which is attached herewith (see annex II).
I should be grateful if you would have the text of this letter and its annexes circulated as a Security Council document.
(Signed) Jean-Marc de La Sablière
Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations
Linas-Marcoussis Agreement (in English) (in French) (in pdf* format - 377.24KB)
Annex II to the letter dated 27 January 2003 from the Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council
[Original: French]
Conclusions of the Conference of Heads of State on Côte d'Ivoire (Paris, 25 and 26 January 2003)
1. At the invitation of the President of the French Republic, Mr. Jacques Chirac, the heads of State of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Ghana, Liberia, Mali, Senegal, and South Africa, representatives of the heads of State of Angola, the Gambia, Guinea, the Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Togo, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan, representatives of the States members of the European Union, the President of the European Commission, Mr. Romano Prodi, the High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP), Mr. Javier Solana, and the President of the International Organization of la Francophonie, Mr. Abdou Diouf, and representatives of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the African Development Bank (ADB), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Community of Sant'Egidio met at Paris on 25 and 26 January 2003 to consider and adopt the reconciliation agreement concluded by the political forces of Côte d'Ivoire at Linas-Marcoussis and to offer their support for its proper implementation.
2. The Conference was chaired jointly by the President of the French Republic, Mr. Jacques Chirac, the Chairman of the African Union and the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
3. The Conference heard statements by President Mbeki, in his capacity as current Chairman of the African Union, President Wade, in his capacity as Chairman of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), President Gbagbo, President of Côte d'Ivoire, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
4. The Conference took note of the Agreement signed at Linas-Marcoussis on 24 January 2003 by the round table of Ivorian political forces, which was submitted to it by Mr. Pierre Mazeaud. It commended the participants for the loftiness of their vision and for their sense of responsibility.
5. The Conference pays a tribute to the efforts and initiatives of ECOWAS, the African Union and the United Nations, which paved the way for the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement. It commends the personal efforts of President Wade and President Eyadéma, which laid the groundwork for a peace agreement. It welcomes the constant support shown for these undertakings by the Chairman of the African Union and the Secretary-General of the United Nations.
6. The Conference endorses the Agreement concluded at Linas-Marcoussis by the round table, which establishes national reconciliation and paves the way for a return to peace in Côte d'Ivoire with respect for the constitutional order.
7. The Conference welcomed the announcement by President Gbagbo of the establishment of a Government of National Reconciliation, as called for in the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement. It took note of the fact that, after consultation with the Ivorian political forces, the Government is to be headed by Mr. Seydou Diarra, Prime Minister-designate, and constituted in accordance with the criteria recommended in the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement for ensuring a balance.
8. The Conference stresses the need to implement the provisions of the Agreement promptly. In particular, it calls upon the Government of National Reconciliation, once constituted, to begin to put the programme of implementation for the Agreement into effect immediately.
9. The Conference decides to support the establishment of a committee to monitor the Agreement, to be constituted immediately at Abidjan. It confirms that this Monitoring Committee shall be entrusted with monitoring the implementation of the provisions of the Agreement and shall be empowered to invoke any national, regional or international authority in the event of obstruction or failure so that appropriate steps can be taken. The Monitoring Committee shall be specifically empowered to bring any instances of failure to implement the Agreement to the attention of the United Nations Security Council through the appropriate channels so that the Council may draw the appropriate conclusions and take the necessary decisions.
10. The Conference decides that the Monitoring Committee shall consist of the following members:
- The Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Abidjan, who shall coordinate the representation of the bodies of the United Nations system;
- The representative of the ECOWAS secretariat;
- The representative of the Commission of the African Union;
- The representative of the country occupying the Presidency of the European Union;
- The representative of the European Commission;
- The representative of IMF;
- The representative of the World Bank;
- A representative of the Group of 8;
- The representative of the International Organization of la Francophonie;
- The Ambassador of France to Côte d'Ivoire;
- A military adviser representing the countries involved in bringing the crisis to an end.
11. The Conference expresses the hope that the Chairman of the Monitoring Committee will be the Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations. It requests that the Committee meet regularly and report to the bodies it represents on the implementation of the Agreement.
12. The Conference calls upon the Government of National Reconciliation to give high priority to respect for civil liberties and personal security; it calls upon the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide all possible support to the Ivorian Government in this area through appropriate means.
13. The Conference affirms the importance of support from the States members of ECOWAS and the United Nations in restoring peace and security in Côte d'Ivoire. It expresses its gratitude to ECOWAS and France for having committed troops to participate in the military and security effort, and welcomes the adoption of the statement issued by the President of the United Nations Security Council on 20 December 2002, which endorsed that deployment.
14. The heads of State invite the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the participating States that are also members of the United Nations Security Council to arrange to have the conclusions of the Conference endorsed by the Council. The Conference expresses the hope that the Security Council will affirm, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, the right of the ECOWAS forces and the forces supporting them to take the necessary steps to ensure the security and freedom of movement of their personnel and to ensure, without prejudice to the responsibilities of the Government of National Reconciliation, the protection of civilians immediately threatened with physical violence within their zones of operation, using the means available to them. The Conference also invites the Secretary-General of the United Nations to submit to the Security Council proposals for strengthening the presence of the United Nations system, particularly in the area of security, humanitarian assistance and human rights.
15. The Conference recommends that the Secretary-General of the United Nations submit to the Security Council recommendations for the deployment of civilian and military observers who will help to supervise the implementation of the Agreement throughout Côte d'Ivoire.
16. The Conference requests that the Government of National Reconciliation facilitate the deployment of ECOWAS forces and French support forces throughout Côte d'Ivoire with a view to promoting the implementation of the military regrouping and disarmament measures provided for in the Agreement.
17. The Conference wishes to recall the importance of the principles of good-neighbourliness, non-interference and regional cooperation. Accordingly, it calls upon all States that are neighbours of Côte d'Ivoire to support the peace process by preventing any action that might undermine the security of Côte d'Ivoire.
18. The Conference expresses its concern at the deterioration in the humanitarian situation; it requests that greater resources be mobilized to ensure that humanitarian assistance reaches its intended recipients and that refugees and displaced persons are afforded protection. It expects that the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and ICRC will continue to work to this end.
19. The Conference deplores the extent of the damage occasioned by the duration of the crisis, not only to the economy of Côte d'Ivoire but to the economies of the countries of the region. It encourages the Government of National Reconciliation to prepare an economic and social recovery programme, as called for in the Agreement. It urges IMF, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the European Union and bilateral donors to contribute to this recovery by making their expertise and financial resources available to the Government of National Reconciliation. The Monitoring Committee shall transmit all useful recommendations to donors so that their contributions may be effectively utilized in the effort to restore peace and stability.
20. In concluding its work, the Conference expresses its conviction that the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement will lead to national reconciliation and a return to stability. It believes that only mutual trust among all the parties will allow the Government of National Reconciliation to accomplish its task. For their part, the Conference participants intend to do all they can to help Ivorians uphold the commitments they have undertaken to bring peace and prosperity to Côte d'Ivoire.