Ministers from ICGLR member states—Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo, DRC, Kenya, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia—discussed creating a unified regional response aligned with the ICGLR Pact on Security, Stability, and Development, Doha Peace Framework, and Washington Accords. The ministers adopted measures to improve regional stability, including: … (Download Press Statement)

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The Community of Practice builds on an already existing mediation architecture within the ICGLR. The ICGLR has constituted a regional Pool of Mediators, composed of two mediators per Member State, which serves as a core team that can be mobilised whenever mediation support is required at the national or regional level. While the Pool provides operational readiness, the Community of Practice complements it by creating a space for continuous learning, reflection and professional interaction.

The Community of Practice brings together mediation professionals and peace practitioners engaged in conflict prevention, dialogue facilitation and mediation processes. Its primary added value lies in experience-sharing, allowing members to exchange practical insights, lessons learned, and good practices drawn from real mediation contexts. Through peer-to-peer learning and collective reflection, the CoP contributes to strengthening professional standards and improving the effectiveness of mediation efforts in the region.

The Community of Practice operates primarily through an online exchange platform, which enables continuous interaction among members across borders. This digital space facilitates discussions, knowledge sharing, and access to relevant resources, ensuring sustained engagement beyond physical meetings or deployments.

Anchored in the ICGLR’s Gender-Responsive Mediation and Coordination Mechanism (GMCM), the Community of Practice promotes inclusive mediation approaches that integrate gender perspectives and encourage the meaningful participation of women, youth and marginalized groups. This approach reflects the ICGLR’s commitment to inclusive and sustainable peace outcomes.

By joining the Community of Practice, members become part of a dynamic regional knowledge network that supports mediators before, during and after mediation processes, while reinforcing regional ownership and coherence in peacebuilding efforts across the Great Lakes Region.

For more information, email to emmanuel.mali@icglr.org or simon.nibizi@icglr.org 

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Held from 12 to 13 December 2025, the workshop sought to further professionalize national mediation expertise, enhance understanding of regional peace frameworks, and support ongoing efforts toward consolidating stability in the Great Lakes Region. The opening ceremony was presided by … (Download press release)

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Held in the framework of forthcoming Summit of Heads of State of the ICGLR, the meeting brought together Ministers of Member States to assess the progress made in the implementation of the Regional Initiative against the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources (IRRN) and to harmonize regional actions around the theme of the Summit: “Consolidating Peace and Security for Sustainable Development in the Great Lakes Region.”

The discussions highlighted the persistent link between illegal mining and insecurity, particularly in eastern DRC and Sudan. Ministers called for strengthening cross-border cooperation and law enforcement mechanisms to dismantle smuggling networks and ensure the integrity of regional mining trade.

Our common commitment is to transform the mineral wealth of the Great Lakes region, a source of conflict, into a foundation of peace and prosperity, said Ambassador João Samuel Caholo, Executive Secretary of the ICGLR.

The meeting also encouraged Member States to promote local development, processing and responsible cross-border trade to ensure that mineral resources directly benefit communities and support inclusive development. The Kinshasa outcomes will serve as the basis for the deliberations of the ICGLR Heads of State Summit, where leaders will reaffirm their political will to consolidate peace, stability and sustainable governance of natural resources.

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The two-day meeting brought together representatives of Member States and partners to review the implementation of the six tools of the Regional Initiative against the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources (RINR) and the progress of the Regional Certification Mechanism (RCM).

Opening the meeting on behalf of the DRC Minister of Mines, Mr. Jacques Ramazani Lutuba, Secretary General for Mines in the DRC, commended the Committee’s continued efforts, reaffirming his government’s support for regional cooperation. ” The fight against the illegal exploitation of natural resources is essential to ensure peace, stability, and shared prosperity in our region,” he said.

Among the major items on the agenda was the consideration of the draft revised Regional Guidelines on the Formalization of the Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Sector, submitted for approval by the Regional Committee. The adoption of these Guidelines marks an important milestone in the ICGLR’s efforts to promote responsible, inclusive, and sustainable mining in the Great Lakes region. By simplifying licensing procedures, harmonizing tax regimes, and facilitating access to finance and markets, the guidelines aim to transform informal artisanal mining into a legitimate, sustainable, and income-generating activity for local development, poverty reduction, and peacebuilding in mining areas.

For the ICGLR Regional Committee, the adoption of these guidelines reinforces its leadership role in promoting responsible governance of natural resources and regional economic integration. It consolidates the ICGLR’s position on the international stage as a regional organization committed to promoting responsible supply chains, conflict-free minerals, and inclusive growth, in line with the global frameworks on sustainability, transparency, and energy transition. These Guidelines thus constitute both a political tool for Member States and a diplomatic lever for the ICGLR, strengthening its credibility and partnerships with international actors such as the African Union, the European Union, and the United Nations.

In conclusion, the 31st meeting of the ICGLR Regional Committee on the Fight against the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources also testifies to the continued commitment of the 12 ICGLR Member States to make the responsible management of natural resources a pillar of peace, security, and shared development in the Great Lakes region.

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