A/HRC/25/73 I. Introduction 1. This report is being submitted in accordance with resolution 23/22 of the Human Rights Council, which renewed the mandate of the Independent Expert for one year and requested that he submit his report to the Council’s twenty-fifth session and his recommendations to the twenty-sixth session. 2. The report provides an update on the human rights situation in Côte d’Ivoire between May and December 2013. It is based on information collected from the authorities, United Nations system agencies, national and international non-governmental organizations, political figures and certain detainees. The Independent Expert would like to express his thanks to the Ivorian Government, which facilitated his visit and his meetings with the national and local authorities. The Independent Expert met the president of the Constitutional Council, the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Justice, Human Rights and Civil Liberties, the Minister of State for Internal Affairs and Security, the Minister of National Education and Technical Training, the Minister of Health and the Fight against AIDS, the Minister for Solidarity, Family, Women and Children, the Minister for Defence at the Office of the President and the First Vice-President of the National Assembly. 3. The Independent Expert also met with the head of the military chiefs of staff, the president of the Dialogue, Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the coordinator of the National Social Cohesion Programme, the president of the National Human Rights Commission of Côte d’Ivoire, the prosecutor-general for the Abidjan Appeals Court, the state prosecutor for the first instance court of Abidjan, the senior investigating judge, the military prosecutor of the military court, the chief of the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration Authority, the head of the Operational Decisions Coordination Centre, the National Press Council and the president of the Independent Electoral Commission. The level of cooperation with these officials was greatly appreciated. 4. The Independent Expert also met the Special Representative of the SecretaryGeneral for Côte d’Ivoire and her deputy, as well as representatives of the various components of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI). 5. The Independent Expert held meetings with the country’s technical and financial partners, including those from the United Nations system and several diplomatic missions, and specifically those of the European Union, Canada, France, the United States of America and Senegal. 6. The Independent Expert would like to express his gratitude to the head of the UNOCI Human Rights Division who, as in previous missions, made his team available and provided technical support and information that proved instrumental in ensuring the success of the mission and in producing this report. 7. As in his previous missions, the Independent Expert visited Odienné, where he met Simone Gbagbo, the wife of the former President, Laurent Gbagbo. He also visited the Abidjan Detention and Correction Centre and the Abidjan Military Detention Centre, and he was able to hold interviews with Charles Blé Goudé, Jean-Noël Abéhi and Jean-Yves Dibopieu. 8. He also held interviews with Pascal Affi N’Guessan, the former Prime Minister and Secretary-General of the Front Populaire Ivoirien (Ivorian Popular Front) (FPI), who had recently been released on bail, and with the Secretary-General of the Rassemblement des Républicains de Côte d’Ivoire (Republican Rally of Côte d’Ivoire) (RDR). He was unable, despite his wish to do so, to meet with representatives of the Democratic Party of Côte 4 GE.14-10154