(1)

On 20 February 2006, the Council adopted Joint Action 2006/122/CFSP extending until 28 February 2007 the mandate of the European Union Special Representative for the African Great Lakes Region (1).

(2)

On 7 June 2006, the Council approved the policy of the European Union on the security of personnel deployed outside the European Union in an operational capacity under Title V of the Treaty on European Union.

(3)

On the basis of a review of Joint Action 2006/122/CFSP, the mandate of the European Union Special Representative (EUSR) should be amended and extended for a 12-month period.

(4)

Mr Aldo Ajello has informed the Secretary General/High Representative (SG/HR) of his intention to resign at the end of February 2007. A new EUSR should therefore be appointed as from 1 March 2007.

(5)

On 31 January 2007, the SG/HR has recommended that Mr Roeland VAN DE GEER be appointed as the new EUSR for the African Great Lakes Region.

(6)

The EUSR will implement his mandate in the context of a situation which may deteriorate and could harm the Common Foreign and Security Policy objectives set out in Article 11 of the Treaty,

(a)

active and effective contribution to a consistent, sustainable and responsible policy of the European Union in the African Great Lakes Region, promoting a coherent overall European Union approach in the region. The EUSR shall support the work of the Secretary-General/High Representative (SG/HR) in the region;

(b)

ensuring the continued commitment of the European Union to the stabilisation and reconstruction processes in the region, through an active presence on the ground and in relevant international fora, staying in touch with key players and contributing to crisis management;

(c)

contributing to the post-transition phase in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in particular as regards the political process of consolidating the new institutions and defining a broader international framework for political consultation and coordination with the new government;

(d)

contributing, in close cooperation with the United Nations/MONUC, to the international support efforts to pursue a comprehensive Security Sector Reform in the DRC, in particular in view of the coordinating role the European Union is ready to assume in this context;

(e)

contributing to appropriate follow-up measures to the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region, in particular by establishing close contacts with the Great Lakes Secretariat and its Executive Secretary as well as with the Troika of the follow-up mechanism and by promoting good neighbourly relations in the region;

(f)

addressing the still considerable problem of armed groups operating across the borders with the risk of destabilising the countries in the region and aggravating their internal problems;

(g)

contributing to the post-conflict stabilisation in Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda, in particular through accompanying peace negotiations with armed groups like FNL and LRA.

(a)

establish and maintain close contact with the countries of the Great Lakes Region, the United Nations, the African Union, key African countries and main partners of the DRC and the European Union, as well as regional and sub-regional African organisations, other relevant third countries and other key regional leaders;

(b)

advise and report on the possibilities for European Union supporting the stabilisation and consolidation process and on how best to pursue European Union initiatives;

(c)

ensure coherence between CFSP/ESDP actors and, to this effect, provide advice and assistance for security sector reform in the DRC, and, in particular, give local political guidance to the Heads of the EU Police Mission (EUPOL Kinshasa) and of the EU Mission advising and assisting the Congolese authorities in the security sector reform (EUSEC RD Congo), in order to fulfil their duties at local level;

(d)

contribute to the follow-up to the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region, in particular by supporting policies defined in the region pursuing the objectives of non-violence and mutual defence in the resolution of conflicts as well as, regarding the regional cooperation, by promoting human rights and democratisation, good governance, combating impunity, judicial cooperation, and the fight against the illegal exploitation of natural resources;

(e)

contribute to a better understanding of the European Union's role among opinion leaders in the region;

(f)

contribute, where requested, to the negotiation and implementation of peace and cease-fire agreements between the parties and engage with them diplomatically in the event of non-compliance with the terms of these agreements; in the context of the ongoing LRA negotiations, such activities should be pursued in close coordination with the EUSR for Sudan;

(g)

contribute to the implementation of the European Union human rights policy and European Union Guidelines on human rights, in particular the European Union Guidelines on Children and Armed Conflict, and the European Union policy regarding UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security, including by monitoring and reporting on developments in this regard.