This daily press review is compiled by the Information Section of the Public Affairs Office of the American Embassy in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

The newly adopted UN resolution on Cote d'Ivoire was the major topic in today's dailies. Other prominent reports were on recommendations from the Ivorian Civil Society convention on the ongoing peace process; and the African Development Bank's 2008/2009 report on Africa's growth. The meeting of the Joint Working Group to elaborate on the strategy to address abusive forms of child labor in the cocoa industry, as well as a national report on gender-based violence also made the news.

1. Following its Security Council meeting, yesterday, the United Nations (UN) adopted a new resolution on Cote d'Ivoire. Fraternite Matin (a state-owned daily) published the full text of the 1880/2009 Resolution in today's paper, which reported that UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon paid tribute to the facilitator President Blaise Compaore and the African Union for their commitment to the ongoing peace process. The paper said that the Secretary also called on Ivorian political stakeholders to act responsibly to ensure a successful outcome of the process.

Still on Resolution 1880, Notre Heure (a daily close to the opposition) noted that Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recommitted the UN's support to the electoral process and stressed on the necessity for the Ivorian Government to support the entities tasked to carry out the electoral process so that deadlines are met in time for the presidential elections to happen on November 29, 2009 as planned. According to the paper, the Secretary General said: "Further delay would likely jeopardize the process."

Notre Voie (a daily close to the ruling FPI party) further noted that the Ivorian Envoy to the United Nations, Ambassador Alcide Djedje, opposed remarks made by the French Representative, who allegedly pointed out that Ivorian politicians are not committed to go to the polls. According to the paper, Ambassador Djedje concluded that France is once again interfering in Ivorian domestic affairs and abusing its veto rights.2. A prominent article in L'inter (an independent daily) reported on the Ivorian Civil Society's recommendations on the ongoing electoral process. One of the recommendations was that, for a peaceful and fair process, the different actors and technical bodies involved in the operation should abide by the legal provisions regulating national elections. On the electoral code, Justice Malan Ehounou, an Ivorian judge, said that the voters list must be edited at least three months before the polls. According to the paper, the Ivorian Civil Society therefore called on the implied parties to work consequently to ensure the timely and credible end of the process.

3. The African Development Bank (AFDB) has published its 2008/2009 report on development on the African continent. A story in Notre Heure (a daily close to the opposition) focused on the aspect of military conflicts and their destructive consequences, which hinder development on the continent. According to the paper, the African economy is also plagued by irrelevant economic policies that prioritize massive armaments and ignore productive investments. The paper added that this often results in high inflation rates making reform policies difficult to implement.

4. The Joint Working Group recently met in Abidjan to advocate common policies to fight and stop the worst forms of child labor in the cocoa farming. L'intelligent d'Abidjan (an independent daily) which reported on this meeting noted that Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana, the top two world cocoa producers, have decided to standardize their work policy in cocoa farming to achieve certification of their production. According to the paper, the two countries are committed to eradicate the phenomenon of child labor in the cocoa industry. [NOTE: Reports in 2001 blamed Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana for using abusive forms of child labor in its cocoa production]

5. Finally, on human rights, a report in Le Mandat (a daily close to the opposition) noted that gender-based violence is still a major concern for Ivorian authorities. According to the paper, despite the lack of figures on the issue, women in Cote d'Ivoire are often silent victims of abuses and sexual violence. This situation, the paper added, seriously impacted the physical and psychological health of the victims; hence the necessity for the authorities to consequently address the issue.