A/HRC/26/52 authorities and forcibly transferred to Côte d’Ivoire for allegedly taking part in attacks against security forces. Six of them were released after a preliminary hearing. Some stated that they had been mistreated by Liberian law enforcement officers. The Independent Expert insists on the principle of voluntary return and is concerned at the way in which this operation was carried out. If these facts are corroborated, he calls on Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire, pursuant to their partnership in security matters, better to honour their commitments under international refugee law. 6. Economic and social rights 36. The Prime Minister informed the Independent Expert of the State’s investment in the social sector, including the opening of approximately 36,000 classrooms, the targeted assistance programme in the health sector, the building of over 100,000 social housing units, the construction of bridges and roads, the raising of wages and support for the national agricultural investment programme. According to the Prime Minister, the best way of improving Ivorians’ quality of life is to create wealth through growth. 37. The Independent Expert welcomes the decision, on 6 March 2014, to adopt a law on universal medical insurance and invites the authorities to take specific steps to put the law into effect. 38. Trade unions have reported that public sector employees have been dismissed without the benefit of redundancy programmes. The Forces Républicaines de Côte d’Ivoire continue to occupy the headquarters of the Federation of Autonomous Trade Unions of Côte d’Ivoire. The Independent Expert encourages the State to ensure a balanced dialogue between the Government, employers and trade unions for the country’s long-term prosperity. 39. He draws the authorities’ attention to the fate of street children, known as “germ children”, especially in the Abobo neighbourhood of Abidjan, who are the product of the country’s difficult socioeconomic circumstances. They are both the perpetrators and victims of serious acts of violence. F. Cooperation with the international community 40. The Independent Expert draws the attention of senior United Nations officials to the importance of not withdrawing ONUCI forces too soon, given the fragile situation in the lead-up to the 2015 elections. 41. He has taken note of Security Council resolution 2153 (2014), in which it voted to relax the sanctions against Côte d’Ivoire, including the weapons embargo. 42. He commends the Government for authorizing the visits of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion of truth, justice, reparation and guarantees of non-recurrence and of the Working Group on the use of mercenaries as a means of violating human rights and impeding the exercise of the right of peoples to self-determination. 43. He has taken note of the fact that Charles Blé Goudé was transferred to The Hague on 22 March 2014 at the behest of the International Criminal Court. He once again urges the Court to bring to justice all those who committed serious human rights violations in Côte d’Ivoire during the post-election crisis. GE.14-02949 9