UN Security Council sanctions chair meets peace pact signatories in Côte d'Ivoire

With elections in Côte d'Ivoire being postponed for a year amid security concerns and human rights violations, the chairman of the United Nations Security Council Sanctions Committee is in the country's major commercial city of Abidjan today holding high-level meetings with signatories of the 2003 peace agreement and officials monitoring that accord.

The Permanent Representative of Greece, Ambassador Adamantios Vassilakis, also met yesterday with ministers of the Government of national reconciliation, leaders of human rights groups and journalists in the divided West African country. He has more meetings scheduled for tomorrow and will return to New York over the weekend.

A Security Council resolution approved last year imposed and arms embargo and threatened measures against individuals "who constitute a threat to the peace and national reconciliation process." If activated, the additional restrictions would include a ban on travelling abroad and would freeze the funds and other assets of individuals designated by the Sanctions Committee.

Insecurity recently prompted the postponement of the 30 October elections for a year and the head of the UN Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), Pierre Schori, reported major challenges in the country, with "gruesome" human rights violations, obstruction of the work of the UN force and intimidation of political opponents.