A/HRC/23/38 United Nations General Assembly Distr.: General 24 June 2013 English Original: French Human Rights Council Twenty-third session Agenda item 10 Technical assistance and capacity-building Report of the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Côte d’Ivoire, Doudou Diène* Summary This report is the outcome of the Independent Expert’s fourth visit to Côte d’Ivoire, from 28 April to 4 May 2013. Its main aim is to evaluate the implementation of the recommendations made to Côte d’Ivoire by the various United Nations mechanisms, including those made by the 2011 international commission of inquiry. This report also presents an update on the human rights situation in Côte d’Ivoire for the period 13 October 2012 to 31 May 2013. The Independent Expert’s visit coincided with regional and local elections and allowed him to observe the current drive towards democracy. He noted that these elections were largely a technical success, which was testament to the authorities’ better use of democratic mechanisms. Nevertheless, the boycott of the elections by opposition parties, particularly the Front Populaire Ivoirien (FPI), weakened the elections’ legitimacy. The Independent Expert observed that opposition parties continue to show mistrust for the Government, despite its calls for dialogue. He calls on the Government to continue this dialogue in a frank and sincere manner, including all political parties in the democratic process in order to encourage more peaceful participation in the next elections in 2015, and to consider the need to reform the Independent Electoral Commission and update the electoral roll. In terms of security, although the number of attacks originating outside the country decreased significantly between January and April 2013, in the Independent Expert’s view the situation remains fragile owing to numerous internal factors, such as the activities of militia in the west of the country and the delays in disarming former fighters. Moreover, the violence committed by the dozos and the Forces Républicaines de Côte d’Ivoire (FRCI) remains a significant internal security threat. * Late submission. GE.13-15028 (E) 200114 230114 *1315028*