Improving mineral-resource governance to promote peace and security in Africa’s Great Lakes Region

Cooperation on peace, security and responsible resource governance in the Great Lakes Region of Africa

Context

The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) is a political alliance between Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Zambia. Its aim is to promote peace, security, stability and development in the region.

It was established under the auspices of the African Union, the United Nations and the regional Member States in direct response to the debilitating consequences of conflict in the region. It operates on the common understanding that the regional challenges can only be solved via joint efforts and using the region’s potentials to the benefit of all.

Illegal mining and the smuggling of tin, tantalum, tungsten and gold (3TG) pose severe challenges to peace, security, stability and development in the region, as they are often linked to financing the activities of armed groups. Women and girls are particularly impacted by these crises and are often victims of sexual and gender-specific violence.

Objective

Cooperation in the responsible governance of natural resources to promote peace and security has improved in the Great Lakes Region of Africa.

Approach

The project supports implementing the ICGLR Strategic Plan 2022-2026 by:

  • providing strategic, technical and management advice to support the ICGLR restructuring process. This specifically covers issues such as organisational development, mineral resource governance, peace and security as well as the prevention of and response to sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
  • Promoting sustainable mineral resource supply chains. To this end, the project supports the regional certification mechanism (RCM) to prove the conflict-free origin of mineral resources and further develops and professionalises ICGLR’s services in the area of mineral resources.
  • assisting in the establishment of a mediation coordination mechanism and the development of integrated training content on Mental Health and Psycho-Social Support (MHPSS).

Last update: February 2023