,,iii  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session 
,s4 ,,res4 #add  ,,in ,,the ,,senate    
,,of ,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #af1 
#bjac ,mr4 ,coons 7for himself1 ,mr4    
,durbin1 ,mr4 ,boozman1 and ,mr4        
,isakson7 submitted the following       
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on ,foreign ,relations       
,,resolution  ,concerning the ongoing   
conflict in the ,democratic ,republic of
 the ,congo and the need for            
international efforts supporting        
long-term peace1 stability1 and         
observance of human rights4  ,whereas1  
since the #aiijs1 an estimated          
#e1jjj1jjj people have died due to      
repeated cycles of conflict1 lack of    
governance1 and atrocities in the       
,democratic ,republic of the ,congo1    
particularly those in ,north and ,south 
,kivu provinces1 and1 since the         
beginning of #bjab1 more than #b1jjj1jjj
 people have been displaced2 ,whereas   
the ,united ,nations and humanitarian   
groups have reported staggering rates of

 sexual violence indicating tens of     
thousands of cases perpetrated by       
security forces of the ,government of   
the ,democratic ,republic of the ,congo 
and non-state armed groups1 which       
continue to operate with nearly total   
impunity2 ,whereas human rights         
defenders in the ,democratic ,republic  
of the ,congo have been subject to      
intimidation and attack2 ,whereas the   
,democratic ,republic of the ,congo's   
wealth of natural resources1 including  
minerals1 have been a key driver of     
instability and violence2 ,whereas the  
deeply flawed ,november #bjaa           
presidential election in the ,democratic
 ,republic of the ,congo presented      
significant political1 economic1 and    
social challenges1 and provincial and   
local elections still have not been     
conducted despite plans to hold such    
elections in #bjab2 ,whereas the        
,democratic ,republic of the ,congo     
remains subject to recurring conflict   
despite one of the world's              

longest-running1 largest1 and most      
expensive international peacekeeping    
operations and extensive bilateral and  
multilateral efforts to address         
longstanding humanitarian crises1 forge 
lasting peace1 and pursue security      
sector reform and accountability2       
,whereas members of civil society and   
political parties from both the majority
 and the opposition in the ,democratic  
,republic of the ,congo created the     
,national ,preparatory ,committee       
7,comit ,national ,prparatoire or ,,cnp7
 to lay the groundwork for convening a  
national forum and dialogue with the    
goal of putting an end to the           
multifaceted crisis that afflicts the   
,democratic ,republic of the ,congo2    
,whereas1 on ,november #ae1 #bjab1 the  
,united ,nations ,group of ,experts     
provided compelling evidence that the   
crisis in eastern ,congo had been fueled
 and exacerbated by regional actors1    
including through provision of          
significant military and logistical     

assistance and of operational and       
political support to the armed group    
known as the ,m#bc2 ,whereas the ,united
 ,nations and ,united ,states           
,government have imposed sanctions on   
the ,m#bc and its leaders for human     
rights atrocities including rape1       
massacres1 and the recruitment and      
physical and psychological torture of   
child soldiers2 ,whereas1 on ,march #ah1
 #bjac1 ,international ,criminal ,court 
7,,icc7 indictee and leader of a faction
 of the ,m#bc rebel group1 ,bosco       
,ntaganda1 turned himself in to the     
,united ,states ,embassy in ,kigali1    
asking to be transferred to the ,,icc in
 ,the ,hague1 where he voluntarily      
surrendered on ,march #bb1 #bjac2       
,whereas the ,lord's ,resistance ,army  
continues to perpetrate attacks against 
civilian populations in affected areas  
of northeastern ,congo1 creating        
widespread insecurity and displacement2 
,whereas the ,democratic ,republic of   
the ,congo1 ,rwanda1 and #i other       

countries on ,february #bd1 #bjac1      
signed the ,peace1 ,security and        
,cooperation ,framework that provides   
for a comprehensive approach to the     
ongoing conflict2 ,whereas the ,united  
,nations ,security ,council adopted     
,resolution #bjih on ,march #bh1 #bjac1 
extending the mandate of the ,united    
,nations ,organization ,stabilization   
,mission 7,,monusco7 and authorizing the
 creation of an intervention brigade    
tasked with neutralizing armed groups2  
and ,whereas1 on ,march #ah1 #bjac1     
,united ,nations ,secretary-,general    
,ban ,ki-,moon appointed former         
,president of ,ireland and ,high        
,commissioner for ,human ,rights1 ,mary 
,robinson1 to serve as ,special ,envoy  
for the ,great ,lakes region3 ,now1     
therefore1 be it  ,that the ,senate--   
7#a7 commends ,united ,nations          
,secretary-,general ,ban ,ki-,moon's    
commitment and leadership to resolving  
the crisis in the ,democratic ,republic 
of the ,congo and his appointment of    

,mary ,robinson as ,united ,nations     
,special ,envoy to the ,great ,lakes2   
7#b7 supports the commitments agreed to 
by the signatories of the ,peace1       
,security and ,cooperation ,framework   
7in this resolution1 the ,framework71   
and encourages them to work closely with
 the ,united ,nations1 the ,african     
,union1 the ,international ,conference  
on the ,great ,lakes ,region1 the       
,southern ,african ,development         
,community1 as guarantors of the        
,framework1 and the ,united ,nations    
,special ,envoy1 ,,monusco1 and relevant
 international bodies and governments to
 develop1 implement1 and enforce a      
comprehensive peace process for the     
region2  7#c7 notes that the adoption of
 the ,framework1 the appointment of     
,mary ,robinson as ,united ,nations     
,special ,envoy to the ,great ,lakes1   
and the expanded ,,monusco mandate      
provide an opportunity to make          
meaningful and sustained progress toward
 ending the recurrent cycles of violence

 in the ,democratic ,republic of the    
,congo1 especially in eastern ,congo2   
7#d7 urges the signatories of the       
,framework and the international        
community to engage and consult with    
representatives of the ,government of   
the ,democratic ,republic of the ,congo 
and civil society representatives       
engaged in the ongoing effort to convene
 an inclusive national forum and        
dialogue2  7#e7 urges the ,president to 
appoint a ,special ,envoy to the ,great 
,lakes in the near-term in order to     
represent the ,united ,states in        
international and regional efforts to   
end the conflict and secure sustainable 
peace1 stability1 and safety for the    
people of the ,democratic ,republic of  
the ,congo by--  7,a7 working with      
,united ,nations ,special ,envoy ,mary  
,robinson and the broader international 
community to promote a transparent and  
inclusive process to implement the      
regional and national commitments under 
the ,framework1 including the           

development of clear benchmarks for     
progress and appropriate follow-on      
measures2  7,b7 strengthening           
international efforts to mobilize and   
support justice for victims and         
accountability for perpetrators of      
sexual and gender based violence and    
other human rights abuses in the        
,democratic ,republic of the ,congo2    
7,c7 expanding efforts to develop       
conflict-free and responsible mining and
 supply chains for the region's vast    
mineral resources1 in coordination with 
other government1 private industry1 and 
international and local organizations2  
7,d7 coordinating with international and
 regional partners to expand unhindered 
access to life-saving humanitarian      
assistance to populations in need1      
particularly displaced persons and      
conflict-affected communities2  7,e7    
pressing for fulfillment of the         
commitment of the ,government of the    
,democratic ,republic of the ,congo1 as 
well as other regional actors1 to ending

 the threat posed by the ,m#bc1 the     
,lord's ,resistance ,army 7,,lra71 the  
,democratic ,forces for the ,liberation 
of ,rwanda 7,,fdlr71 and other armed    
groups in the ,great ,lakes region1 and 
to facilitate enhanced coordination of  
regional efforts to counter these       
groups2 and  7,f7 mobilizing and        
facilitating ,united ,states and        
international support for electoral     
reforms in the ,democratic ,republic of 
the ,congo1 with the goal of encouraging
 free1 fair1 and credible provincial and
 local elections in the near-term1 and  
presidential elections in #bjaf2  7#f7  
calls on the ,president to support the  
creation of a ,world ,bank ,fund for the
 ,great ,lakes ,region1 as part of a    
coordinated international investment and
 development strategy aimed at deepening
 regional economic integration and      
stability and leveraging reform2  7#g7  
calls on the ,president1 in close       
coordination with international and     
regional partners1 to work with the     

,government of the ,democratic ,republic
 of the ,congo to develop and implement 
recommendations to improve              
accountability for serious violations of
 international humanitarian law and     
human rights abuses in the ,democratic  
,republic of the ,congo1 including by   
considering imposition of sanctions     
authorized under section #abhd of the   
,national ,defense ,authorization ,act  
for ,fiscal ,year #bjac 7,public ,law   
#aab-bci2 #ej ,u4,s4,c4 #agja note72    
7#h7 calls on governments of the ,great 
,lakes region of ,africa to immediately 
halt and prevent any and all forms of   
support to non-state armed groups1      
including support provided by           
individuals independent of government   
policy2  7#i7 calls on all relevant     
nations1 including destination and      
transit countries1 to increase          
cooperation on ending the illicit trade 
in conflict minerals1 wildlife1 and     
wildlife parts1 which continues to fuel 
and fund violence and to deprive        

citizens of economic opportunity in the 
,democratic ,republic of the ,congo and 
the broader region2  7#aj7 calls on the 
signatories of the ,framework to        
cooperate in the arrest and prosecution 
of those responsible for violating      
international humanitarian law and for  
serious human rights violations1        
including gender-based violence2  7#aa7 
calls on the ,government of the         
,democratic ,republic of the ,congo to  
engage in meaningful and inclusive      
electoral reforms1 prepare and hold     
impartially administered local and      
provincial elections as soon as         
technically possible1 continue to       
participate in ongoing efforts to       
provide a platform for inclusive        
dialogue within the ,democratic         
,republic of the ,congo to address      
critical internal political issues1 and 
strengthen processes of state           
institution building2  7#ab7 calls on   
the ,government of the ,democratic      
,republic of the ,congo1 in coordination

 with the international community1 to   
undertake significant security sector   
reform1 which is a necessary component  
for lasting stability1 and renewed      
disarmament1 demobilization1 and        
reintegration 7,,ddr7 efforts that      
ensure that any rebel troops1 especially
 commanders1 responsible for human      
rights violations are held accountable  
and not reintegrated into the ,armed    
,forces of the ,democratic ,republic of 
the ,congo 7,,fardc72 and  7#ac7 urges  
the ,government of the ,democratic      
,republic of the ,congo to improve      
efforts to protect civilians from armed 
groups1 in cooperation with ,,monusco   
and the ,african ,union's ,regional     
,cooperation ,initiative on the ,,lra4