Policy objectives
Article 2
The mandate of the EUSR shall be based on the policy objectives of the European Union (EU) regarding the further stabilisation and consolidation of the post-conflict situation in the African Great Lakes Region, paying particular attention to the regional dimension of the developments in the countries concerned. These objectives, which promote, in particular, compliance with the basic norms of democracy and good governance, including respect for human rights and the rule of law, include: (a) contributing actively and effectively to a consistent, sustainable and responsible policy of the Union in the African Great Lakes Region, and promoting a coherent overall Union approach in the region. The EUSR shall support the work of the HR in the region; (b) ensuring the continued commitment of the 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 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, which risks 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 such as the FNL and LRA.