E/CN.4/2005/18/Add.3 page 7 8. After several attempts at mediation, notably by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), a ceasefire was agreed to permit negotiations to take place. A round table held at Linas-Marcoussis, under French auspices, culminated in the signing of the Linas-Marcoussis Agreement on 23 January 2003. The Agreement provides for the establishment of a government of national reconciliation and includes an annex containing a programme for dealing with the issues at the root of the crisis, namely the question of citizenship, eligibility to the Presidency, the incitement to hatred and xenophobia by the media, voter registration, the independence of the justice system with respect to electoral disputes and the implementation of a new land tenure regime. A committee was also set up to monitor the implementation of the Agreement. C. Economic situation 9. For the first 20 years following independence, Côte d’Ivoire enjoyed steady economic growth. However, the collapse of world markets in its major export commodities, most notably cocoa, triggered an economic crisis in the 1980s. 10. According to the information gathered by the Special Rapporteur, the conflict in Côte d’Ivoire deeply undermined the economic growth observed in the first three quarters of 2002. The agricultural sector, the mainstay of the country’s economy, was particularly hard hit by the crisis. Prices also rose sharply in areas under the control of the rebel movements. 11. The regional dimension of the crisis has also been apparent in the economic sphere: the political upheaval had direct and immediate repercussions on the economies of all the West African countries, since Côte d’Ivoire accounts for 40 per cent of the gross domestic product of the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU). Hardest hit have been Burkina Faso and Mali, between 70 and 80 per cent of whose external trade in the region is carried out with or via Côte d’Ivoire. In addition, the crisis has prompted large numbers of workers from these countries to return home, which has had a significant impact on the movement of people and goods, as well as on monetary flows. D. Human rights background 1. Legislative framework 12. The 2 August 2002 Constitution gives great prominence to the protection of human rights and public freedoms. The preamble recognizes Côte d’Ivoire’s ethnic, cultural and religious diversity and proclaims the Ivorian people “persuaded that unity with respect for diversity will ensure economic progress and social well-being”. The principle of the equality of persons is established in article 2 of the Constitution. 13. Under article 87 of the Constitution, international treaties or agreements take precedence over domestic law. Under article 86, in the event of a conflict between a provision of international law and the Constitution, the Constitution must be revised before the agreement in question can be ratified.