(1)

On 20 February 2023 the Council approved conclusions on a renewed Great Lakes strategy of the Union, which included an invitation by the Council to the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (‘the High Representative’) to submit a proposal to reinstate the position of EU Special Representative (EUSR) for the Great Lakes region.

(2)

The EUSR for the Great Lakes region should be appointed for an initial period of 12 months.

(3)

The Council and the Commission, assisted by the High Representative, should ensure consistency between the different areas of the Union’s external action in the Great Lakes region and should cooperate closely to that effect. The EUSR should support and cooperate with the institutions in this respect.

(4)

The EUSR will implement the mandate in the context of a situation which may deteriorate and could impede the achievement of the objectives of the Union’s external action as set out in Article 21 of the Treaty on European Union,

(a)

contributing to peace, stability and security in the Great Lakes region by promoting the de-escalation of tensions and the prevention of conflicts, and supporting dialogue and long-term regional solutions to crises and conflicts, in particular for the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC);

(b)

contributing to the transformation of the drivers and root causes of insecurity and instability into shared opportunities and unlocking the Great Lakes region’s full potential;

(c)

building a stronger, more comprehensive and more strategic partnership with the countries in the Great Lakes region to enhance prosperity and security, on the basis of common values and interests.

(a)

support the High Representative in the implementation of the Council conclusions of 20 February 2023 on a renewed Great Lakes strategy;

(b)

establish and maintain close contact and cooperation with the countries of the Great Lakes region, in particular: the DRC, Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda; countries in the wider region with specific political, diplomatic, security or economic interests in the Great Lakes region, including the signatories to the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework (PSCF) for the DRC and the region; the key regional organisations and fora, namely the African Union (AU), the East African Community (EAC), the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR), the Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA); the United Nations, in particular the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region and the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO); the international financial institutions; international likeminded partners and other leading regional and international actors; and relevant non-state actors, such as local authorities and communities, civil society, research institutes, the media and the private sector;

(c)

support regional mediation and facilitation efforts, such as the Luanda and Nairobi Processes and, if needed and requested by relevant parties and stakeholders, engage directly in mediation, mediation support activities and dialogue in order to preserve and restore peace at any stage and at all levels, including by supporting the negotiation of ceasefire and peace agreements, and promote the inclusion of civil society, women and youth during all stages of peace-making;

(d)

provide advice and report on the possibilities for the Union to support conflict prevention, peace processes, stabilisation and peace-consolidation initiatives; in this context, the EUSR, in coordination with relevant stakeholders, may play a role in supporting the implementation of ceasefire and peace agreements and other related agreements, including by providing support for the monitoring of compliance and engaging diplomatically with parties in cases of non-compliance;

(e)

provide conflict-sensitive and gender-sensitive advice concerning regional stabilisation, the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of armed groups, and security-sector reform in the DRC, including in the context of the withdrawal of MONUSCO;

(f)

contribute to the regional efforts aimed at conflict prevention and the transformation of the root causes of insecurity and instability into shared opportunities, by promoting regional cooperation and integration, including in terms of good governance and the rule of law; in particular, focus on the issue of the illegal exploitation and trafficking of natural resources and support initiatives for the development of an African-led model of resource management that is sustainable, fair, environmentally sound and based on human rights, including through engagement with the private sector and civil society;

(g)

promote humanitarian principles and access, respect for international humanitarian and human rights law, access to justice, judicial cooperation and transitional justice mechanisms, while paying particular attention to addressing sexual and gender-based violence and violations of women’s and children’s rights, including through forced recruitment;

(h)

contribute to a better understanding of the role of the Union among opinion leaders in the Great Lakes region and support strategic and proactive communication of the Union’s goals in the region.

(a)

establishing a specific security plan based on guidance from the EEAS, including specific physical, organisational and procedural security measures governing the management of the secure movement of personnel to, and within, the area of responsibility as well as the management of security incidents, and including a contingency plan and evacuation plan;

(b)

ensuring that all personnel deployed outside the Union are covered by high-risk insurance, as required by the conditions in the area of responsibility;

(c)

ensuring that all members of the EUSR’s team to be deployed outside the Union, including locally contracted personnel, have received, before or upon arriving in the area of responsibility, appropriate security training based on the risk ratings assigned to that area by the EEAS;

(d)

ensuring that all agreed recommendations made following regular security assessments are implemented, and providing the Council, the High Representative and the Commission with written reports on their implementation and on other security issues within the framework of the regular progress reports and a final comprehensive mandate implementation report.