S/PV.5828 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. Members of the Council have before them document S/2008/50, which contains the text of a draft resolution prepared in the course of the Council’s prior consultations. Members of the Council also have before them document S/2007/671, containing the twenty-fourth report of the Secretary-General on United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I wish to draw the attention of members to document S/2007/694, which contains a letter dated 30 November 2007 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council. It is my understanding that the Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution. Unless I hear any objection, I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now. There being no objection, it is so decided.

There were 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 1797 (2008). Following consultations among the members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council: “The Security Council congratulates President Kabila and the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as the organizers of and participants in the Conference for Peace, Security and Development in North and South Kivu, on the success of the Conference, held in Goma from 6 to 23 January 2008. “The Security Council is particularly pleased that the armed groups in North and South Kivu have undertaken to observe a complete and immediate ceasefire, to begin the withdrawal of their forces with a view to their brassage or their disarmament, demobilization and reintegration under the national programme for that process, and to abide strictly by the rules of international humanitarian and human rights law, set out in the statements of commitment (Actes d’engagement) which they signed with the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on 23 January 2008. “The Council commends the Government for ordering a ceasefire in accordance with the statements of commitment. In the framework of the fight against impunity, while noting the Government’s pledge to seek parliamentary approval of an amnesty law covering acts of war and insurrection, the Council welcomes the exclusion of genocide, war crimes or crimes against humanity from the scope of this amnesty. “The Security Council urges all the parties to the agreements to respect the ceasefire and to implement the other commitments they have undertaken effectively and in good faith. In this connection, it emphasizes the importance of the work to be carried out by the joint commissions provided for in the statements of commitment, and encourages the international community, including the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC), to support that process. It also encourages MONUC to support the implementation of the statements of commitment, within the limits of its capacity and in accordance with its mandate, including with regard to the protection of civilians. “The Security Council also welcomes the resolutions adopted at the Conference and calls upon the appropriate authorities to act on the recommendations addressed to them. It underscores the need for the Congolese authorities and all political and social stakeholders in North and South Kivu to continue, through dialogue, to seek long-term and comprehensive ways to address the root causes of instability. “The Security Council reiterates the importance of the commitments undertaken by the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Government of the Republic of Rwanda in their joint communiqué on a common approach to end the threat posed by illegal armed groups in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to peace and stability in both countries and the Great Lakes region, signed in Nairobi on 9 November 2007 (S/2007/679). It calls on the two Governments to continue to implement fully the joint communiqué, in particular by promptly taking appropriate measures to induce the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda (FDLR) and other foreign armed groups to lay down their arms without preconditions and return to their home countries. “The Security Council encourages the international community, in particular the eastern neighbours of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the Great Lakes region, to fully support the new dynamic launched by the Goma Conference and the Nairobi communiqué, which together represent a major step towards the restoration of lasting peace and stability in the Great Lakes region.” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/2008/2. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.