Democratic Republic of Congo

– in the House of Lords at on 13 May 2008.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of The Bishop of Winchester The Bishop of Winchester Bishop

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they opposed the discontinuance by the United Nations Human Rights Council of the mandate for an expert on the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Photo of Lord Malloch-Brown Lord Malloch-Brown Minister of State, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Minister of State (Africa, Asia and the UN)

My Lords, Her Majesty's Government strongly advocated the renewal of the mandate of the UN independent expert on human rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo. We made this clear through UK and EU statements during discussions at the Human Rights Council, but the HRC could not agree to this. However, there was agreement that existing special rapporteurs will present a report on the human rights situation in DRC by the HRC's March 2009 session.

Photo of The Bishop of Winchester The Bishop of Winchester Bishop

My Lords, I am grateful to the Minister for his response, especially for that assurance, because the situation in the Congo is dire, not only in the east following the stalemate after the Goma ceasefire but also in the west and the south-west in Kinshasa. Does not this failure give those states responsible for serious human rights violations a veto on the council's ability to fulfil its mandate? At the meeting of the contact group to be held next week, will the UK join others in pressing for the appointment of an additional senior special adviser on human rights to monitor the human rights obligations of the Goma agreement?

Photo of Lord Malloch-Brown Lord Malloch-Brown Minister of State, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Minister of State (Africa, Asia and the UN)

My Lords, let me assure the right reverend Prelate that, on his first question, we hope that this will not be the case. Other countries that have resisted a special rapporteur have nevertheless had one imposed on them by the council, so we hope very much that the principle about which he is concerned is not conceded. Moreover, the special rapporteurs on violence against women and the independence of the judiciary have produced excellent reports on the situation in DRC, particularly in the east, so we think that the framework of strong reporting remains intact. I shall certainly look into the Goma issue.

Photo of Lord Alton of Liverpool Lord Alton of Liverpool Crossbench

My Lords, does the Minister accept that the killings in Goma, Kivu and, indeed, throughout the rest of the Congo, where more than 3 million people have died in the last decade or so, have been driven on by the insatiable desire of the Congo's neighbours and factions inside the country to seize and plunder the massive mineral resources there? Does he agree that, in developing human rights over the long term, one of the most important things to do is to join with the mining interests and big mining companies to ensure that they exploit those mineral resources to the benefit of the people of the Congo and thus help to build a civil society there?

Photo of Lord Malloch-Brown Lord Malloch-Brown Minister of State, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Minister of State (Africa, Asia and the UN)

My Lords, the noble Lord puts his finger on one of the most critical issues that has kept the Congo in conflict. The mining interests have over many years taken different sides in the factional fighting in the country. Now that there is a democratically elected Government for the DRC, we hope that they can regularise their relations with the mining industry, put them on a much more transparent footing and break the curse that these resources have previously placed on the country's development.

Photo of Lord Avebury Lord Avebury Spokesperson in the Lords (Civil Liberties), Home Affairs, Spokesperson in the Lords (Africa), Foreign & Commonwealth Affairs

My Lords, there are continuing reports of atrocities in the eastern DRC, with a particularly horrific report this morning by a Congolese doctor on the use of mass rape as an instrument of conflict by the 23 armed groups. In the circumstances, is it not essential that there should be an effective monitoring mechanism for Article 3 of the Goma agreement of 23 January, which compels these groups to abide by humanitarian and human rights law? Therefore, can the Government undertake to press at the contact group meeting next week for the proposal mentioned by the right reverend Prelate, which has the approval not only of the 63 Congolese human rights NGOs but also that of several countries?

Photo of Lord Malloch-Brown Lord Malloch-Brown Minister of State, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Minister of State (Africa, Asia and the UN)

My Lords, the noble Lord and the right reverend Prelate make it clear that we need to ensure that our people on the ground have instructions to press hard for this proposal. I know not only from President Kabila but also from discussions with the UN special representative and others that there is a common understanding that human rights in the eastern Congo are the single most important threat for the democratic stabilisation of that country. There is a common desire to address this and we will certainly look into using the Goma process, and Article 3, as a means of doing that.

Photo of Lord Davies of Coity Lord Davies of Coity Labour

My Lords, I agree with my noble friend and understand the circumstances in the Congo. With a democratically elected Government, it is possible that the human rights relationship might well be established. However, does he not feel that, in Africa, Britain should be doing more about the human rights situation in Zimbabwe?

Photo of Lord Malloch-Brown Lord Malloch-Brown Minister of State, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Minister of State (Africa, Asia and the UN)

My Lords, certainly the world should be doing more about the human rights situation in Zimbabwe, which is bad and getting worse. However, dreadful though it is, there is a bigger level of abuse in the Congo—or, for that matter, in Darfur—than in Zimbabwe. That in no way excuses the situation in Zimbabwe. We should be pressing hard for good human rights protection in all these situations.