UN Envoy To The Great Lakes Region To Visit

Special Envoy of the Secretary-General to the Great Lakes Region Mary Robinson

The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General to the Great Lakes Region Mary Robinson will make her first visit to the region in this new capacity from April 29 to 5 May.

Robinson will on her visit come from Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Burundi and South Africa, before concluding her mission at the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Information from the One UN Rwanda office, the Envoy looks forward to initiating discussions with leaders and officials from key countries that recently signed the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Region.

The Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the region was signed on 24 February 2013 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The peace initiative provides an important opportunity for countries to work collaboratively for peace and stability in the Great Lakes region.

It was signed by Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic (CAR), Congo, the DRC, Rwanda, South Africa, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia.

She hopes that she will together with these countries find ways of how to translate this encouraging new agreement into tangible actions and cooperation to end the recurrent cycles of crisis and suffering in the eastern DRC.

The envoy will also meet with regional and sub-regional organizations and envoys working on issues surrounding the Great Lakes; representatives of NGOs, including women’s organizations; and UN and international partners.

She is expected in Rwanda on May 1. While here, she will meet with officials including Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo; NGOs; international community and the UN country team.