Security Council studying report on gem and mineral plunder in DR of Congo

The United Nations Security Council is studying a draft statement on the plundering of gems and minerals in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and intends to discuss it next month, a UN spokesperson said today.

On Wednesday, the fourth and last report from the Council's Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and Other Forms of Wealth of the DRC was made public. In it, the experts said, "illegal exploitation remains one of the main sources of funding for groups involved in perpetuating conflict." The report also called for more transparency by local and international companies, which the Panel had previously identified as either directly or indirectly involved in the continuation of the fighting.

Yesterday the panel's chairman, Mahmoud Kassem of Egypt, briefed the Council on the report.

"Ambassador Kassem discussed the group's efforts to obtain satisfactory resolutions to cases in which it had previously identified companies or individuals as participating in the exploitation of the DRC's resources, and also suggested ideas for follow-up now that the panel's mandate has ended," said the spokesperson, Marie Okabe.

"Council members received a draft Presidential Statement about the panel's last report, submitted by France, which they expect to discuss further next month," Ms. Okabe added.