S/PV.4318 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. The Security Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Members of the Council have before them document S/2001/416, which contains the text of a letter dated 24 April 2001 from the Secretary-General. 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 statement of its President of 2 June 2000 (S/PRST/2000/20). It expresses its intention to give full consideration to the report of the Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and Other Forms of Wealth in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (S/2001/357). It takes note of the action plan of the Expert Panel for the extension of its mandate (S/2001/416). “The Security Council notes that the report contains disturbing information about the illegal exploitation of Congolese resources by individuals, Governments and armed groups involved in the conflict, and the link 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. “The Security Council condemns the illegal exploitation of the natural resources of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and expresses its serious concern at those economic activities that fuel the conflict. It urges the Governments named in the report in this regard to conduct their own inquiries into this information, cooperate fully with the Expert Panel while ensuring necessary security for the experts, and take immediate steps to end illegal exploitation of the natural resources by their nationals or others under their control. “The Security Council notes with concern the terrible toll the conflict is taking on the people, economy and environment of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “The Security Council believes that the only viable solution to the crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo remains the full implementation of the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement (S/1999/815) and the relevant Security Council resolutions. “The Security Council emphasizes the importance of a comprehensive approach addressing all the root causes of the conflict to achieve a lasting peace settlement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. “The Security Council requests the Secretary-General to extend the mandate of the Expert Panel for a final period of three months, and requests also that the Expert Panel submit to the Council, through the Secretary-General, an addendum to its final report which shall include the following: “(a) An update of relevant data and an analysis of further information, including as pointed out in the action plan submitted by the Panel to the Security Council; “(b) Relevant information on the activities of countries and other actors for which the necessary quantity and quality of data were not made available earlier; “(c) A response, based as far as possible on corroborated evidence, to the comments and reactions of the States and actors cited in the final report of the Expert Panel; “(d) An evaluation of the situation at the end of the extension of the mandate of the Panel, and of its conclusions, assessing whether progress has been made on the issues which come under the responsibility of the Panel. “The Security Council expresses its intention to examine and respond to the recommendations of the report in the light of the addendum submitted by the Panel, so as to advance the peace process in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2001/13. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on the agenda. The meeting rose at 5.50 p.m.