Security Council

5651^st Meeting (PM)

SECURITY COUNCIL ENDORSES AGREEMENT ON CÔTE D’IVOIRE;

SUPPORTS APPOINTMENT OF NEW PRIME MINISTER

 

Presidential Statement Commends Parties to Ouagadougou

Agreement, ‘A Good Basis for Comprehensive Settlement of Crisis’

The Security Council this afternoon welcomed and endorsed the agreement signed by President Lauren Gbagbo of Côte d’Ivoire and Guillaume Soro, in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, on 4 March, and supported the appointment of Guillaume Soro as Prime Minister.

In a presidential statement read by Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma, Minister for Foreign Affairs of South Africa, the Council commended the parties signatory to the agreement for the spirit of compromise and the sense of responsibility they had displayed, and paid tribute to the Chairperson of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), President Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso, who had facilitated the conclusion of the agreement.

Taking note of the commitments of the parties to its resolutions on Côte d’Ivoire, including resolution 1721 (2006), the Council underlined that the Ouagadougou agreement provided a good basis for a comprehensive and all-inclusive settlement of the crisis in the country through the organization of credible elections.

Expressing its readiness to take further steps to support the peace process, in particular the electoral process, the Council requested the Secretary-General to submit, by 15 May, recommendations on the role the United Nations should play to support implementation of that process, taking into account the latest developments in the country.

The meeting started at 5:24 p.m. and was adjourned at 5:30 p.m.

Presidential Statement

The full text of presidential statement S/PRST/2007/8 reads as follows:

“The Security Council welcomes the agreement signed by President Laurent Gbagbo and Guillaume Soro in Ouagadougou on 4 March 2007 under the facilitation of the Chairperson of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), President Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso (S/2007/144). It commends the parties signatory to the agreement for the spirit of compromise and the sense of responsibility they have displayed, and pays tribute to President Blaise Compaoré for his efforts to facilitate the conclusion of the agreement.

“The Security Council takes note of the commitments of the parties to its resolutions on Côte d’Ivoire, including resolution 1721 (2006), and underlines that the Ouagadougou agreement provides a good basis for a comprehensive and all-inclusive settlement of the crisis in Côte d’Ivoire through the organization of credible elections.

“The Security Council takes note of the recommendations of ECOWAS and of the African Union.  It endorses the Ouagadougou agreement of 4 March 2007, and calls upon the Ivorian parties to implement it fully, in good faith and within the timetable set out in the agreement.

“The Security Council commends the outgoing Prime Minister, Charles Konan Banny, whose tireless efforts permitted progress in the implementation of the peace process and contributed to restore a climate of confidence in Côte d’Ivoire.

“The Security Council takes note of the agreement among the parties on the institutional arrangements, as indicated by the letter dated 27 March 2007 from the Permanent Representative of Burkina Faso to the President of the Security Council, and supports the appointment of Guillaume Soro as Prime Minister.

“The Security Council expresses its readiness to take further steps, in light of the progress achieved, in order to help the parties in implementing their commitments and to support the peace process in Côte d’Ivoire, in particular the electoral process.  It requests the Secretary-General to submit to it recommendations by 15 May 2007 on the role that the United Nations should play to support the implementation of the peace process, taking into account the latest developments in Côte d’Ivoire.”

* *** *

For information media • not an official record