Nairobi, 17 December 2018 Biannual Partners’ meeting with Special Envoy Said Djinnit

The biannual Partners’ meeting was opened by Said Djinnit, the Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for the Great Lakes region. The Special Envoy provided a summary of regional political developments followed by an open discussion and a presentation on Trust Fund supported socio-economic projects, including judicial cooperation, the repatriation and reintegration of ex-combatants, gender, economic cooperation, displacement and youth.

The Trust Fund provides quick-action opportunities for the Office of the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region to address medium term security and political challenges, facilitate solutions to immediate and root causes of conflict, promote regional cooperation in cross-border issues, assist increasing political will and capacity at the national and regional level and coordinate the regional political, development and humanitarian actions of the United Nations.

The following topics were discussed at the meeting; the neutralisation of negative forces, inclusive political and peace processes, justice, human rights and impunity, economic integration and natural resources. Key points raised during discussions were pertinent to the election process in the DRC, the outbreak of Ebola in the DRC, the increasing activities of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), regional efforts on women leadership and political participation and the approach of the Security Council on the work conducted by the Office of the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes region.

The meeting was attended by: Nicolas Nihon, Belgian Ambassador (Kenya), Stefano Dejak, Head of EU Delegation (Kenya), Ralf Heckner, Swiss Ambassador (Kenya), Zenia Chrysostomidis, Deputy Head of Mission, Norwegian Embassy (Uganda), Shapari Enshayan Taxell, Development Cooperation, Norwegian Embassy (Uganda), Robert Hovde, Counsellor, Norwegian Embassy (Uganda), Noëmi Ral, First Secretary, Belgian Embassy (Kenya), Patrick Dupont, Political Counsellor, EU Bujumbura Delegation and Alexander Puk, Political Councellor, German Embassy (Kenya).