A/RES/58/123 GA

United Nations A/RES/58/123 General Assembly Distr.: General 12 February 2004 Fifty-eighth session Agenda item 40 (b) 03 50196 Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 17 December 2003 [without reference to a Main Committee (A/58/L.31/Rev.1 and Add.1)] 58/123. Special assistance for the economic recovery and reconstruction of the Democratic Republic of the Congo The General Assembly, Recalling its previous resolutions on special assistance for the economic recovery and reconstruction of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Recalling also all resolutions of the Security Council and the statements by its President regarding the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Reaffirming the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and all States in the region, Gravely concerned at the dire humanitarian, economic and social situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and at the effects on the inhabitants of the continued fighting in the eastern part, resulting in the continuing plight of the civilian population, and calling for its protection, taking into account the particular needs of women and girls, Deeply concerned at the HIV/AIDS pandemic, and at its disproportionate effect on women and girls, Expressing its deep concern at the dire consequences of the conflict for the humanitarian and human rights situations in the country, and at the continuing lack of sufficient access to vulnerable people, Gravely concerned by the continued illegal exploitation of the natural resources of the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a source of further conflict, and reaffirming in this regard its commitment to respect the sovereignty of the Democratic Republic of the Congo over its natural resources, Gravely concerned also at the negative impact of war on the promotion of sustainable development in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes region, Deeply concerned about the continued extensive destruction of life and property, as well as the severe damage to infrastructure and the environment suffered by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Bearing in mind the fact that the Democratic Republic of the Congo hosts thousands of refugees from neighbouring countries, which places a great burden on A/RES/58/123 2 its limited resources, and expressing the hope that conditions will be created that facilitate a safe and voluntary return of refugees, Recalling that the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a least developed country with severe economic and social problems arising from its weak economic infrastructure and aggravated by the ongoing conflict, Bearing in mind the close interrelationship between ensuring peace and security and the ability of the country to meet the humanitarian needs of its people and to take effective steps towards the rapid revitalization of the economy, and reaffirming the urgent need to assist the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of its damaged economy and in its efforts to restore basic services and the infrastructure of the country, 1. Takes note of the report of the Secretary-General;1 2. Welcomes the conclusion of the Global and All-Inclusive Agreement on the Transition in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, signed in Pretoria on 17 December 2002 and the subsequent establishment of the Government of National Unity and Transition, and encourages the effective establishment of all transitional institutions; 3. Also welcomes the declaration of Principles on Good-Neighbourly Relations and Cooperation between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Burundi, Rwanda and Uganda,2 which marked the successful conclusion of the high-level meeting held on 25 September 2003 under the auspices of the Secretary- General; 4. Further welcomes the efforts of the Republic of South Africa, the Republic of Angola, and all the Central African countries, as well as the important role of the Secretary-General, in facilitating the adoption of these agreements; 5. Urges all parties concerned in the region to cease military activities and to cease any support for armed groups, and rather to use their influence to support the transition and bring all within the dynamic of the transition; 6. Strongly condemns the acts of violence, including the latest massacres in Ituri, systematically perpetrated against civilians, including the massacres, as well as other atrocities and violations of international humanitarian law and human rights, in particular sexual violence against women and girls, stresses the need to bring to justice those responsible, including those at the command level, and urges all parties, including the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to take all necessary steps to prevent further violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, in particular those committed against civilians; 7. Welcomes the work of the Interim Emergency Multinational Force in Bunia led by the European Union, and the subsequent efforts of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to help secure the Ituri region; 8. Recognizes the importance of an effective withdrawal of all foreign troops from the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; _______________ 1 A/58/273. 2 A/58/428-S/2003/983, annex. A/RES/58/123 3 9. Urges all parties concerned in the region to cease any recruitment, training and use of child soldiers, which are contrary to international law, welcomes the initial steps taken by the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to demobilize and reintegrate child soldiers, in particular through education, and urges the Government and all parties to continue their efforts in this context, and to take into account the particular needs of girl ex-combatants; 10. Invites donors to strengthen their support for the efforts of the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to demobilize and repatriate armed groups currently in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to encourage the transitional Government and all parties to the conflict to cooperate with the Organization Mission in achieving a climate of security and trust, the support of neighbouring countries in this process being essential; 11. Emphasizes that the consolidation of peace and the resumption of economic activity in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are inextricably linked, and calls for further international economic assistance in this regard; 12. Encourages the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to pursue the implementation of economic reforms aimed at stabilizing the macroeconomic framework so that conditions for sustainable growth can be created; 13. Urges all parties to fully respect international humanitarian law and to ensure the safe and unhindered access of humanitarian personnel to all affected populations throughout the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the safety of United Nations and humanitarian personnel; 14. Calls upon the international community to increase its support for humanitarian relief activities within the Democratic Republic of the Congo; 15. Urges all parties to permit free and unhindered movement of the population, which is essential, inter alia, to the resumption of economic activities; 16. Expresses its deep concern especially at the very serious, dire humanitarian situation in Ituri, and calls on all Congolese parties on the ground to cooperate fully, in general, with the institutions of the transition, and, in particular, with the Ituri Pacification Commission; 17. Also expresses its deep concern over the dire humanitarian situation throughout the country and the very high number of internally displaced persons in the eastern part and, in particular, in the Ituri region, and urges all parties to avoid further population displacement and to facilitate the safe and voluntary return of refugees and internally displaced persons to their places of origin; 18. Stresses the importance of the restoration of river traffic, welcomes in this regard the reopening of the Congo and Oubangui Rivers, and expresses its support for the establishment of a Congo River Basin Commission; 19. Calls for the reopening of the Kisangani-Kindu rail and river link to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance, as well as the resupply access for humanitarian personnel; 20. Encourages the continued cooperation of the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo with the United Nations, the specialized agencies, international financial institutions and other organizations, including non- governmental organizations, in addressing the need for rehabilitation and reconstruction, and welcomes in this regard their renewed dialogue and cooperation; A/RES/58/123 4 21. Renews its urgent appeal to the executive boards of the United Nations funds and programmes to continue to keep under consideration the special needs of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and stresses the need to mainstream an appropriate gender perspective within overall reconstruction efforts; 22. Welcomes the inclusion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative; 23. Urges the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to implement national comprehensive strategies to monitor and manage external liabilities, embedded in the domestic preconditions for debt sustainability, including sound macroeconomic and public resource management; 24. Welcomes initiatives that have been undertaken to reduce outstanding indebtedness, and invites further national and international measures in that direction, including, as appropriate, debt cancellation and other arrangements; 25. Invites the development partners to cover the funding shortfall of the Emergency Multisectoral Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Programme and support civil service reform and efforts to reunify the country; 26. Invites Governments to continue providing support to the Democratic Republic of the Congo; 27. Requests the Secretary-General: (a) To ensure through his Special Representative for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who convenes the International Committee in Support of the Transition, the coordination of all the activities of the United Nations system in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the facilitation of the coordination with other national and international actors of activities in support of the transition, and welcomes to that effect the adoption of new coordination mechanisms aimed at ensuring a coherent and effective response to the multifaceted humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; (b) To continue to consult with regional leaders, in coordination with the President of the African Union, about ways to bring about a peaceful and durable solution to the conflict; (c) To continue to consult with regional leaders, in coordination with the President of the African Union, in order to prepare an international conference on peace, security and development in Central Africa and in the Great Lakes region, under the auspices of the United Nations and the African Union, to address the problems of the region in a comprehensive manner; (d) To keep under review the humanitarian and economic situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo with a view to promoting participation in and support for a programme of financial and material assistance to the country to enable it to meet urgent needs in terms of economic recovery and reconstruction; (e) To submit to the General Assembly at its fifty-ninth session a report on the actions taken pursuant to the present resolution. 75th plenary meeting 17 December 2003

UN Project. “A/RES/58/123.” UN Project, https://un-project.org/votes/resolution/A-RES-58-123/. Accessed .

Copy citation