Technical assistance and Capacity Building to International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR)

The present Technical Assistance Operation aims to strengthen institutional capacity of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) Executive Secretariat and its implementing agencies to operationalize the ICGLR Regional Certification Mechanism. The Project is a Capacity Building intervention to support the Regional Initiative Against the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources (RINR). It's designed to break the link between armed conflict and mostly illegal mineral resource activities and revenues. The Project will consists of mainly three interrelated components, namely: : (i) Support for ICGLR institutional capacity-building; (ii) Implementation of the ICGLR Agreement on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources; and (iii) Project management. A successful implementation of the RINR will cut off negative and conflict-inducing forces from access to mineral revenues. This in turn would deprive these groups of the means to continue their violent activities and serve as a disincentive for future rebel activities. A reduction in rebel activities will lead to a considerable improvement of the security situation in mining areas and to an overall stabilization of the sub-region for development.