The eleven National Coordinators meeting on the international Conference on Great lakes region ( ICGRL ) ministerial meeting has opened in Lusaka today at intercontinental hotel.
The meeting was opened ahead of the on the ICGRL special summit ahead of the heads of State of government under the chairmanship of president Rupiah Banda, of Zambia.
It will deliberate on the fight against illegal exploitation of Natural resources on the recent developments related to conflict minerals in the Democratic Republic of Congo ( DRC ) including suspension of mining active.
The meeting which is secluded to open on the on Monday 13 the December to the 15 of December 2010, where
And summit will also elect the New ICGRL executive secretary , and a Memorandum of Understanding ( MOU ) between the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ( ORDCD ) and ICGRL.
Out Going ICGRL Executive Secretary Ambassador Liberata Mulamula said the special summit will provide an opportunity to the regional leaders to discuss at length the illegal exploitation of natural resources and the involvement of the involvement of multinational companies.
Ambassador Mulamula noted that summit declaration has reaffirms the ICGRL of heads States and government’s commitment and determination to curb the illegal exploration of natural resources and the Finacing of the negative forces and other key issues.
Meanwhile Home affairs Deputy Minister Gaston Sichilma noted that member states are fully aware of the dire consequence of the activities and the extent to which they wreak havoc in the region.
Mr Sichlima stressed the awareness should prompt member states to accelerate the domestication of the related protocols with a view of ensuring the effective implementation of the tools and bringing an end to armed conflict which has long plagued the great lakes region.
During the official opening a moment of silence was also observed in honor of the late Zambian Ambassador Dr Siteke Mwale who died this year .
The ICGRL was created in 2004 as a response to the conflict that ravage the great lakes region . with member states being Angola , Burundi, African Republic , Republic of Congo the DRC Kenya Rwanda Sudan Tanzania Uganda and Zambia
ZANIS
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