A/HRC/29/49 8. In its preamble, the Constitution proclaims the country’s commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms and to democratic values. An extensive chapter of the Constitution is devoted to the recognition of human rights (arts. 1 to 22), focusing in particular on equality before the law (art. 2) and providing for the guarantees of a fair trial (arts. 20 to 22). 9. International agreements that have been regularly adopted by Côte d’Ivoire prevail over domestic laws. The Independent Expert notes with satisfaction that Côte d’Ivoire has ratified seven of the nine international human rights instruments that form the backbone of the broader international human rights framework. It has ratified the first Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. Côte d’Ivoire still needs to ratify other important conventions and protocols in order to consolidate the progress already made in the adoption of international human rights instruments. B. Political context 10. In the 1960s and 1970s, Côte d’Ivoire enjoyed resounding economic success, which attracted many immigrants from neighbouring countries. In 1998, approximately 26 per cent of the population of Côte d’Ivoire was made up of non-nationals. In the 1990s, a number of factors, including the introduction of a multiparty system and the economic crisis caused by the fall in coffee and cocoa prices, began to exacerbate xenophobic tension. This tension centred around the concept of “ivoirité”, underlined in article 35 of the Constitution. 11. Since then, the country’s history has been punctuated by violent events, starting with the overthrow of President Henri Konan Bédié in a military coup on 24 December 1999 and followed by an armed conflict that virtually split the country into two opposing parties: the north, more or less controlled by the rebels, and the south, which remained in the hands of supporters of President Laurent Gbagbo. The violent conflicts that have arisen in Côte d’Ivoire since the late 1990s have primarily been related to elections. The most recent electoral crisis was in 2010. 12. In the second round of the presidential elections in November 2010, Alassane Ouattara was declared the winner by the Independent Electoral Commission. This result was certified by the United Nations and accepted by the African Union. On the same day, the Constitutional Council had announced the victory of Laurent Gbagbo. The two men both took an oath of office and a wave of violence broke out. According to UNOCI estimates, 3,000 persons lost their lives and there were thousands of injured and displaced persons and refugees (there are still some 300,000 displaced persons and over 50,000 refugees, mostly in Liberia). 13. The situation began to ease following the arrest of Laurent Gbagbo and his transfer to the International Criminal Court. Alassane Ouattara was inaugurated as President on 21 May 2011. Since then, the country has been trying, with the support of the international community, to restore peace and social cohesion and regain its momentum towards economic development. This arduous work, which is still ongoing, has resulted in tangible and commendable progress. 14. The next presidential elections are scheduled for October and November 2015. However, for more than a decade, election periods have given rise to violent disturbances. All national and international stakeholders concerned with the human rights situation in the country must therefore be vigilant. This need for vigilance makes the Independent Expert’s obligation of objectivity more imperative than ever and also means that he must be very GE.15-08296 5