ICGLR Regional Committee Hosts its 30th Meeting Against Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources

NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 29 – The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) has convened its 30th Meeting of the Regional Committee against the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources in Nairobi.

The high level meeting brings together policymakers, technical experts and regional stakeholders from the 12 ICGLR member states which include Angola, Burundi, Kenya, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia aiming to advance efforts in curbing illegal mineral trade and fostering sustainable development across the Great Lakes region.

ICGLR meeting has been Organized by Conference Secretariat and Kenya’s State department for mining with technical and financial support from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), Kingdom of Netherlands Foreign Ministry via GIZ and the European Union through IMPACT.

Discussions centers on implementation of the six tools of the Regional Initiative on Natural Resources (RINR) a comprehensive framework anchored in the ICGLR Pact on Security, Stability and Development.

Regional certification, harmonization of national legislation, regional database on mineral flows, formalization of artisanal mining, peer learning through the Extractive Industry Transparency Initiative (EITI) and a whistle-blowing mechanism to encourage citizen reporting are among the tools.

ICGLR Ambassador Joao Samuel Caholo ICGLR Executive Secretary reiterated the urgency of compliance with the Six Tools.

“Mineral resources of our region, which drive development elsewhere, must become the foundation for stability and prosperity here”, said Caholo.

In addition the 30th ICGLR Regional Committee meeting represents a renewed commitment to harnessing natural resources for the benefit of all citizens fostering peace and driving inclusive development across member states.

ICGLR meeting further aims to receive reports from sub-committees on the access of the regional initiative against illegal exploitation of natural resources to update the committee on the status of the consultancy and next steps.