“One of the striking features of the (Great Lakes) region is the extent to which the security and stability of its countries are interlinked.”

— Secretary-General Kofi Annan
remarks to the International Conference on Peace, Security,
Democracy and Development in the Great Lakes Region
19 November 2004, Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania

Conflicts and instability, often spilling across borders, have ravaged the Great Lakes Region of Africa in recent years. The International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, convened under the auspices of the United Nations and the African Union, represents an attempt by leaders of the region to come together in an effort to
end the cycle of violence through a
comprehensive regional framework.

The Department of Political Affairs provides support and guidance to the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region, Mr. Ibrahima Fall, which has been instrumental in the creation and functioning of the Conference.

The Conference brings together the 11 core countries of the region -- Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia. Its discussions are organized around four interlinked sets of challenges: peace and security; democracy and good governance; economic development and regional integration; and humanitarian and social issues.

The first summit of heads of state of the Conference, held in November 2004, yielded the “Dar-Es-Salaam Declaration of Principles on Peace, Security, Democracy and Development in the Great Lakes Region.” In it, the leaders declared their collective determination to transform the Great Lakes Region into a place of sustainable peace and security, of political and social stability, and of shared growth and development. They also committed to a series of policy options and guiding principles that addressed the four main themes of the Conference. Resulting protocols and programs of action are expected to be adopted at the second summit.