UN Security Council
2017

Noting the Group of Experts’ findings that there have been positive efforts related to the minerals trade and traceability schemes but that gold remains a s erious challenge, recalling the ICGLR’s Lusaka Declaration of the Special Session to Fight Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources in the Great Lakes Region and its call for industry due diligence, commending the ICGLR’s commitment and progress on this issue and underscoring that it is critical for regional governments and trading centres, particularly those involved in gold refining and the gold trade to intensify efforts to increase vigilance against smuggling and reduce practices that could undermine the DRC and ICGLR’s regional efforts, Noting with concern reports indicating the continued involvement of armed groups, as well as some elements of the FARDC, in the illegal minerals trade, the illegal production and trade of charcoal and wood, and wildlif e poaching and trafficking, Noting with great concern the persistence of serious human rights abuses and international humanitarian law violations against civilians in the eastern part of the 17-10332 3/9 S/RES/2360 (2017)