S/PV.4151 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Following consultations among members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council: “The Security Council recalls the letter from the Secretary-General of 18 April 2000 (S/2000/334) and the letter from its President of 28 April 2000 (S/2000/350). The Council also recalls the letters from the Permanent Representative of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the United Nations to its President of 26 April 2000 (S/2000/362) and of 1 June 2000 (S/2000/515). “The Security Council welcomes the recommendation made by its mission to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, contained in paragraph 77 of its report of 11 May 2000 (S/2000/416), to proceed with the early establishment of an expert panel on the illegal exploitation of natural resources and other forms of wealth of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “The Security Council requests the Secretary-General to establish this panel, for a period of six months, with the following mandate: • To follow up on reports and collect information on all activities of illegal exploitation of natural resources and other forms of wealth of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including in violation of the sovereignty of that country; • To research and analyse the links between the exploitation of the natural resources and other forms of wealth in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the continuation of the conflict; • To revert to the Council with recommendations. “The Security Council stresses that in order to implement its mandate, the expert panel, which will be based at the United Nations Office at Nairobi, may receive logistical support from the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC) and make visits to various countries of the region, making contact during its visits with diplomatic missions in the capitals concerned, and, if necessary, to other relevant countries. “The Security Council requests the Secretary-General to appoint the members of the panel, in consultation with the Council, on the basis of candidates’ professional expertise, impartiality and knowledge of the subregion. The Council stresses that the Chairman of the panel should be an eminent personality with the necessary experience and decides that the panel will consist of five members, including its Chairman. The Council underlines that the panel might call upon the technical expertise of the Secretariat and of the Funds and Programmes and Specialized Agencies of the United Nations, as required. Voluntary contributions to support the Panel would be welcomed. “The Security Council requests the Secretary-General to report to it on the steps taken to establish the expert panel. The Council requests also that the expert panel, once established, submit to the Council, through the Secretary-General, a preliminary report with initial findings after three months and a final report, with recommendations, at the end of its mandate.” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2000/20. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on the agenda.