A/HRC/35/43 unions occasionally disrupted the lives of residents, particularly in the city of Bouaké. This reflects a certain social malaise that the Government of Côte d’Ivoire has worked to address. If dialogue and mediation are insufficient to deal with social unrest, that unrest could undermine advances in the area of national reconciliation and damage the security and human rights situation in Côte d’Ivoire. It is essential that the international community should continue to support Côte d’Ivoire in order to strengthen its security and stability. 8. Alarmed by the tension caused by social unrest, the Independent Expert issued a press release on 20 January 2017, following his fifth mission, in which he invited all partners to continue calmly engaging in dialogue, making use of mediation and retaining a sense of responsibility. Although the restoration of calm demonstrates the sound negotiating ability of the Government of Côte d’Ivoire, the Independent Expert stresses the importance of remaining vigilant and encourages the Government to adopt a proactive approach to ensure that action is taken before social tensions boil over. 9. The Independent Expert wishes to emphasize that national reconciliation is critical for the present and the future of Côte d’Ivoire. It will be very difficult to build lasting peace and stability in Côte d’Ivoire if serious efforts are not made to heal the wounds of the past. As the Government is fully aware, it is a question of undertaking a long, costly, sometimes painful but utterly essential national process. In that connection, the Independent Expert recalls that the President of the Republic, in his inaugural speech of 4 November 2015, made national reconciliation a priority for his second term. C. Political situation 10. The Independent Electoral Commission, as the standing constitutional body responsible for organizing elections in Côte d’Ivoire, played a pivotal role in the organization of the 2015 presidential elections. In 2016, it enabled the constitutional referendum of 30 October and the legislative elections of 18 December to take place under peaceful, inclusive conditions. Local elections are due to take place in 2018, when the current mandates of locally elected officials will come to an end. 11. The fact that three elections could be held in free and transparent conditions reflects well on the Independent Electoral Commission. The legislative elections enabled deputies to be elected in 253 of the 255 vacant seats, the Constitutional Council having requested that elections should be held again in two constituencies. It should be noted that the branch of the Front populaire ivoirien (Ivorian Popular Front) that agreed to participate in the legislative elections went on to win three seats in Parliament, including one for its Secretary General. 12. The composition of the Independent Electoral Commission was established following a long process of dialogue and conciliation that enabled a balance to be struck between the majority party and the opposition. This institution represents a step forward in the establishment of dialogue between the various political parties that agree to subscribe to it. On 7 July 2014, however, an Ivorian NGO filed an application with the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights asking it to order the Government to reform Act No. 2014-335 of 5 June 2014 on the organization, composition, powers and functioning of the Independent Electoral Commission. The Court’s decision, which was issued on 18 November 2016, granted the NGO’s application and ordered Côte d’Ivoire to reform its law and report back to it within one year. 13. The implementation of the constitutional reform led to the appointment as Vice President of the former Prime Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan in January 2017. With regard to gender parity, it should be noted that, in the new Government, 6 of the 28 ministerial posts that have been filled are held by women. GE.17-08076 5