EU Presidency Statement - Peace, Security and Development in the Great Lakes

United Nations Security Council Open Debate on Peace, Security and Development in the Great Lakes; Statement by Ambassador Gerhard Pfanzelter, Permanent Representative of Austria to the United Nations, on behalf of the European Union, New York

Mr. President

1. I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union. The Acceding Countries Bulgaria and Romania, the Candidate Countries Turkey, Croatia* and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia*, the Countries of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidates Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro, and the EFTA country Iceland, member of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova align themselves with this statement.

Mr. President,

2. The European Union welcomes today's open debate taking place at a time when the Great Lakes Region is at an important crossroads. Never before have we been so close to the settlement of the conflicts in the region. Since the creation of the African Union, Africa has more and more taken up its responsibilities - the AU has fast become a reliable partner which is essential when talking about the strengthening of collaboration between the United Nations and African partners on the regional and sub-regional levels. The European Union sees itself as a key ally in this effort. The EU Africa Strategy which was adopted by the European Council in December 2005 is intended to help achieve a peaceful, prosperous, and democratic Africa in close cooperation between the AU, the UN and the EU. The Africa Strategy is the concrete expression of the European Union's commitment to Africa.

3. Substantive progress has been made in recent years in the Great Lakes Region. Burundi last year witnessed the successful conclusion of the transition process through free and fair democratic elections. In the DRC, too, the successful holding of the referendum on the new constitution on 18 December 2005 and the strong support for it bear witness to the desire of the people for an end to more than a decade of instability and fighting and to a new beginning. The EU congratulates the peoples of both countries on this accomplishment. We hope that the positive spirit that pervaded the referendum in the DRC will also prevail during the election period still to come. The adoption of the Declaration on Peace, Security, Democracy and Development at the First Summit of the Conference of the Great Lakes Region in Dar-es-Salaam in November 2004 represented a landmark in regional relations. At the Second Summit in Nairobi later this year, Member States are expected to adopt the Pact on Security, Stability and Development. It is important that all countries live up to the commitments contained therein. The co-operation between Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi and the DRC in the framework of the "Tripartite plus Commission" is yet another sign of the commitment of the countries in the region to build confidence among each other.

4. This progress would not have been possible without the dedication of the staff of the UN missions in Burundi and the DRC - ONUB and MONUC - especially the peacekeepers, who risk their lives on a daily basis. Only this Monday were we tragically reminded of this point when 8 Guatemalan peacekeepers lost their lives in an ambush by suspected LRA elements in Garamba National Park. The European Union expresses its sincere condolences to the families of the victims and the government of Guatemala and pays tribute to the contribution of thousands of men and women who have been working with the UN for peace in the region.

5. The progress to date was made possible first and foremost because of strong African ownership, whether through the South-African mediation in the DRC or the regional initiative in Burundi, supported by UN missions. Furthermore, the way in which all international partners - the EU, the US, Canada - worked closely together with our African partners and the UN ensured coherence in international support for transition in the region.

6. The European Union's contribution to this effort is substantial. Our involvement dates back already to 1996 when Mr. Aldo Ajello was appointed EU Special Representative for the Great Lakes Region. To this date, the EU is highly involved on the political level, as the recent visits by HR Solana and EU Commissioner Michel to Kinshasa show. But we have also taken very concrete, practical steps to help in the stabilization of the region. In 2003, when the province of Ituri in the East of the DRC was plunged into chaos and anarchy, the EU deployed Operation Artemis, the first ever ESDP mission outside Europe, to the city of Bunia. The determined military effort by the EU stabilized the situation until MONUC was able to take control of the area and thus helped to save the DRC peace process from collapse. In Burundi, the EU was actively involved in the Arusha Peace Process and was part of the Commission de Suivi of the Arusha Agreement. The European Union also supported the deployment of the African Mission in Burundi (AMIB) which - again - paved the way for the subsequent take-over by a UN mission. Therefore, this AU mission represented the first successful test of AU-UN-EU trilateral co-operation in African peacekeeping.

7. But we are also heavily engaged in the humanitarian and political fields: In order to prepare the basis for a successful conclusion of the transition period, the EU has contributed more than 80% of all the finances required for the election process in the DRC. Recently, we have been opening new avenues by supporting the crucial restructuring of the security sector in line with our common goal of providing security to all Congolese. The EU-mission EUSEC DR Congo has been providing advice and assistance for security sector reform since June 2005. In particular, the EUSEC mission is currently setting up a project, EUSEC-FIN, which will support the Congolese authorities in reforming their military administration with regard to the payment of soldiers' salaries. The EU civilian police mission, EUPOL Kinshasa, is assisting the Congolese authorities in setting up, training, and monitoring on a daily basis an Integrated Police Unit in charge of the protection of state institutions and the main political leaders.

8. However, much remains to be done and recent events suggest that progress towards peace remains fragile. In Burundi, the security situation is still far from perfect and the problem of the FNL must be solved. Burundi will need continued international assistance after the gradual and careful phasing-out of ONUB. In the DRC, the delay in the adoption of the electoral law is jeopardizing the electoral calendar and the conclusion of the transitional period by June 2006. Although the elections will mark the end of the transitional process, they are only the beginning of a new, democratic DRC. Also, a solution has to be found urgently for the problem of the negative forces in the DRC - be they Congolese or foreign in origin - including the FDLR. The activities of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) are reason for considerable concern, not just because of the humanitarian crisis of immense proportions in Northern Uganda, but also because of their regional effects. Increasingly, as recent events show, the LRA's activities have intensified in Southern Sudan and spread to the DRC as well, causing more insecurity and threatening the peace processes underway in these areas.

Mr. President,

9. In order to achieve this, a number of preconditions have to be fulfilled: For lasting progress to be achieved, international partners need reliable, democratic partner governments. In this regard, it is important that political systems are democratic and inclusive and that they create a climate of trust and participation by all rather. Good governance and the rule of law will create an environment that is conducive for reconstruction. It is therefore essential to take decisive action against corruption, ensure respect for human rights, strengthen the rule of law and fight against the climate of impunity and politically-driven justice prevailing in the wider region. The ICTR and the ICC have a central role to play in the efforts to bring to justice those responsible for serious human rights violations, war crimes or crimes against humanity. In view of the complementarity of jurisdiction under the Rome Statute, it is of great importance to strengthen domestic justice systems in order to enable them to carry out investigations and prosecutions effectively.

10. The support by the International Community to the reconstruction efforts has to be well coordinated and coherent. In particular, we need to think already now about the post-transitional phase and how to best support reconstruction and institution building. This is an area where donors need to work harder and where the Peacebuilding Commission could add particular value. All together, we can make peace - let us show now that we can also sustain it.

11. The provision of security is pivotal in all these efforts. The question of the disarmament, demobilization and re-integration, repatriation or resettlement of the various armed groups is a central issue in the stabilisation of the whole region. The European Union welcomes the robust action undertaken by MONUC in the eastern DRC in support of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC). Equally, the EU welcomes that the Security Council has recently given more attention to this specific question and its regional implications. We also need to ensure that the arms embargo is implemented in good faith and that measures are taken against the illegal exploitation of natural resources, which constitutes the main source of income for armed groups and continues to fuel insecurity in the region. For its part, the EU contributes to the fight against illegal armed groups and the enhancement of the security situation by contributing to the strengthening of the security sector in the DRC. In this context, we believe it is important that the international community does not disengage too rapidly and that an adequate UN presence be maintained in the DRC after the elections. Phasing out of the UN missions in Burundi and the DRC should follow clear established benchmarks.

12. Finally, the future of the countries in the region must be built on good neighbourliness and regional co-operation. This realization lies at the heart of the process of the International Conference on Peace, Security, Democracy and Development in the Great Lakes Region. The Pact on Security, Stability and Development, which is to be adopted at the Second Summit of the Conference in Nairobi later this year, will be the basis and the reference point for these efforts. We believe that - given the recent history of the region - the peace and security cluster of the Pact warrants the most urgent attention. Furthermore, efforts to revive the Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries (CEPGL) could prove promising for regional economic integration.

Mr. President,

13. All of the elements outlined above are intertwined. Sustainable progress cannot be achieved if one of them is lagging behind. The transformation of the Great Lakes Region into an area of lasting peace, stability and prosperity requires sustained, co-ordinated efforts by all parties involved - that is, the countries of the region, the African Union, the United Nations and international partners. The European Union stands ready to play its part and to continue its support for this collaborative work.

I thank you.


* Croatia and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.

| Arriba |

• EU Presidency Statement - Security Council: Open Debate on the Great Lakes Conference (20/12/2006)
• "La région des Grands Lacs, en marche vers un destin de stabilité et de prospérité" - discours de Commissaire européen Michel (14/12/2006)
• EU Presidency Statement - Reports of the ICTR and ICTY (9/10/2006)
• EU External Relations Council Conclusions on Democratic Republic of Congo (27/2/2006)
• EU deploys Election Observation Mission to Uganda (13/2/2006)
• EU and UN launch Humanitarian Action Plan for Democratic Republic of Congo (13/2/2006)
• Commissaire Michel - Il y a une chance historique pour les Grands Lacs (27/1/2006)
• EU Council adoption of EU Strategy for Africa marks new era in Euro-African relations (12/12/2005)
• EU-Africa Ministerial meeting (5/12/2005)
• La Commission européenne salue l'adoption de la Constitution en République Démocratique du Congo (17/5/2005)
• Council conclusions on the Great Lakes (25/4/2005)