134. Financing of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire

The Security Council, by its resolution 1528 (2004) of 27 February 2004, established the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) for an initial period of 12 months as from 4 April 2004. By the same resolution, the Council requested the Secretary-General to transfer authority from the United Nations Mission in Côte d’Ivoire (MINUCI) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) forces to UNOCI on that date.

By its resolution 1721 (2006) of 1 November 2006, the Security Council endorsed the decision of the African Union Peace and Security Council that President Laurent Gbagbo should remain Head of State as from 1 November 2006 for a new and final transition period not exceeding 12 months; reaffirmed that the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration process should be carried out concomitantly with the identification process; and demanded the immediate resumption of the programme for the disarmament and dismantling of militias throughout the national territory. By its resolution 1739 (2007) of 10 January 2007, the Security Council extended the UNOCI mandate until 30 June 2007 and decided that it should have the mandate as set out in paragraph 2 of same resolution. The Security Council extended the mandates of UNOCI, and of the French forces which support it, in subsequent resolutions, the latest of which was resolution 1826 (2008) of 29 July 2008, whereby it was extended until 31 January 2009.

By its resolution 1795 (2008) of 15 January 2008, the Security Council endorsed the Agreement signed by President Laurent Gbagbo and Mr. Guillaume Soro in Ouagadougou on 4 March 2007, and the subsequent Supplementary Agreements of 28 November 2007, whereby the two parties agreed on the timeframe for the presidential election, and decided to extend the mandates of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) and of the French forces which support it, until 30 July 2008, in order to support the organization in Cote d’Ivoire of free, open, fair and transparent elections. In light of the progress achieved in the implementation of key steps of the peace process and of the progress of the electoral process, notably the issuance of a presidential decree setting 30 November 2008 as the date of the first round of presidential elections, the mandates of UNOCI and of the French forces have been extended until 31 January 2009 by the Council in its latest resolution 1826 (2008) of 29 July 2008.

At its resumed sixty-second session, in June 2008, the General Assembly decided to appropriate to the Special Account for UNOCI the amount of $497,455,100 for the period from 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009, inclusive of $475,402,600 for the maintenance of the Operation, $19,223,800 for the support account for peacekeeping operations and $2,828,700 for the United Nations Logistics Base; also decided to apportion among Member States the amount of $40,117,347 for the period from 1 to 30 July 2008 and $457,337,753 at a monthly rate of $41,454,592 for the period from 31 July 2008 to 30 June 2009, subject to a decision of the Security Council to extend the mandate of the Operation; further decided that there should be set off against the apportionment among Member States their respective share in the Tax Equalization Fund of $953,605 and $10,871,095 for the periods from 1 to 30 July 2008 and 31 July 2008 to 30 June 2009, respectively; and decided that the decrease of $422,200 in the estimated staff assessment income in respect of the financial period ended 30 June 2007 should be set off against the credits from the amount of $38,685,500 referred to in paragraphs 20 and 21 of the resolution (resolution 62/254).