A/HRC/19/72 88. The independent expert wishes to emphasize that efforts to combat impunity through the implementation of transitional justice mechanisms can, provided they are impartial, also contribute to the return of displaced persons and refugees and the strengthening of national cohesion. It is thus essential for the international community to continue to support the Government’s efforts to tackle the many challenges associated with the country’s rebuilding. 89. The equating of land with ethnicity constitutes a real time bomb in the struggle for political power in post-Houphouet Boigny Côte d’Ivoire. The seriousness of the human rights violations perpetrated after the elections shows that these outbreaks are part of a downward spiral that is destroying the lives, property and basic human values of the Ivorian people. There has been so much violence for so long that a culture of violence is taking root in the people’s imagination and collective unconscious. 90. The independent expert nevertheless believes that there is hope for Côte d’Ivoire, whose history, geography and population make it a veritable microcosm of the region in which it lies. The resilience of the Ivorian people, as demonstrated by the democratic processes under way, shows how real and solid is the culture of coexistence, so that in the end all political attempts to divide the people along ethnic, cultural or religious lines have had limited success. Attacks on the national identity have been stymied by the Ivorian people’s long and deep-rooted experience of living together. This in turn is based on a peaceful and cordial multiculturalism grounded in intercultural values, mechanisms and practices developed over time by communities that migrations, economic factors, and family and cultural ties have brought together on the territory of Côte d’Ivoire. B. 1. Recommendations Recommendations to the Government 91. The independent expert recommends that the Government of Côte d’Ivoire focus its efforts on (a) rebuilding democracy and consolidating the State apparatus; (b) promoting democracy and human rights; (c) promoting economic and social development; (d) revitalizing coexistence; and (e) strengthening cooperation and regional and subregional solidarity. 92. Rebuilding democracy should focus on (a) achieving inclusive political pluralism that respects the diversity of the Ivorian people; (b) drafting a consensual democratic charter on ethical principles in politics; and (c) establishing independent institutions and mechanisms with the necessary human and material resources to guarantee the objectivity and impartiality of basic features of democracy such as elections, financing of political parties, equal access to information and communication, and respect for basic freedoms. 93. The independent expert recommends that cultural, ethnic and religious pluralism be enshrined in the Constitution as a basic value of the nation. 94. The Government should work to ensure the success and sustainability of the Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation Commission, including by: (a) strengthening its mandate, including truth, justice and reconciliation; (b) coordinating the work of the various investigative bodies and mechanisms (National Commission of Inquiry and Special Investigative Unit) with that of the Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation Commission; and (c) acknowledging the major challenge of uncovering truth by identifying serious human rights violations, their perpetrators and their root causes. 16 GE.12-10060