A/HRC/23/38 Démocratique de Côte d’Ivoire, the Rassemblement des Républicains de Côte d’Ivoire and Liberté et Démocratie pour la République. II. Outcome of the International Conference on Impunity and Equitable Justice in Côte d’Ivoire 10. Held in Yamoussoukro from 21 to 23 February 2013 at the initiative of the Independent Expert, the International Conference on Impunity and Equitable Justice in Côte d’Ivoire brought together 42 national and international participants to discuss transitional justice and combating impunity. The conference was organized jointly with the Ivorian Government, the Dialogue Commission, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Commission of Jurists, with the support of UNOCI and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. 11. The participants represented Government bodies responsible for justice and human rights (the Ministry of Justice, Human Rights and Public Freedoms and the Ministry of Defence, represented by the prosecutor of the military court), the Dialogue Commission, civil society actors and international partners such as Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the International Commission of Jurists, the International Federation for Human Rights, the Rassemblement africain pour les droits de l’homme, the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICJT) and the International Criminal Court (ICC). 12. The participants examined examples of impunity that have occurred since 1990, including the post-election crisis, and analysed the Government’s responses. They also highlighted the most appropriate judicial principles and measures to combat impunity and promote equitable justice, based on Ivorian and international law. The Conference also took on board the lessons learnt in other countries that have faced similar situations, such as Peru, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Liberia, Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Senegal, with the Hissène Habré case. 13. The Independent Expert wishes to thank the following people for their presence at the conference: Albert Gerard Koenders, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Côte d’Ivoire and head of UNOCI; Gnénéma Mamadou Coulibaly, Minister of Justice, Human Rights and Public Freedoms; and Charles Konan Banny, Chairperson of the Dialogue Commission, head of the Human Rights Division of UNOCI and regional prefect for the Yamoussoukro district. 14. After discussions focused on the situation of victims, recommendations were made to the Government, the Dialogue Commission, civil society, the Security Council and the ICC. III. Update on the general situation in the country A. Organization of regional and local elections 15. The organization of the latest local and regional elections by the Ivorian Government, without external assistance, was a technical success free from major incidents, representing significant progress in the country’s democratic reconstruction. The Independent Expert noted that the electoral process had three main characteristics: the nonparticipation of opposition parties, notably the FPI and Liberty and Democracy for the Republic; a high number of independent candidates; and the verbal abuse and physical violence within some parties and particularly within the ruling coalition. The non- GE.13-15028 5