MONUC Update

Below is the letter we faxed and emailed on February 1st to members of the Security Council and the Secretary General. Thanks to all who signed onto the letter, we had about 20 organizations of all sizes and types sign on! Feel free to edit it according to your views or your organization's views, and keep sending it. Below the letter is a list of contact information for UN SC members.

This letter is now being edited into a version that will be sent to the US State Department and other government offices. We will send that out for sign-on in the next two weeks. Other versions are being drafted that will go to the EU, the AU, and the DRC government.

An Arria formula is scheduled for February 15th, so representatives from a few NGOs will be able to have a private meeting with the Security Council.

Dear Ambassador,

We, the Congo Global Action, are a collection of humanitarian, human rights, environmental and faith-based organizations, students, Congolese Diaspora and grassroots organizations. With a membership base of over half a million people, our organizations are coming together to advocate for the Democratic Republic of Congo and to urge increased local and international response.

One of our key points is to advocate for the renewal and expansion of MONUC (the UN peace-keeping force in the DR Congo) and security sector reform.

It is widely known to our organizations and our members in the DR Congo that the national army and armed militias remain the most prominent perpetrators of human rights violations today. Their tactics and methods create acute humanitarian crises and contribute to the displacement of civilians, especially during harvest times. These tactics only serve to compound the human suffering in the Eastern portion of the country today.

It is, therefore, crucial that MONUC remain in the DR Congo, and their new mandate focuses on the following priorities:

1. MONUC must concentrate its efforts to train the National Army and Civilian Police on the international standards, including human rights and humanitarian responsibilities that they are sworn to protect.

2. MONUC must do all it can to assist the DR Congo to achieve the necessary skills and capacity at all government levels to address conflict without a return to arms and further human suffering.

3. MONUC must exert political pressure and work with the newly elected government to ensure that any human rights violations or abuses to civilians by police, the national army and/or other armed militias are deemed illegal and unacceptable and that all perpetrators will be held accountable. MONUC must play a key role in ending the impunity that currently pervades DR Congo.

4. MONUC must report publicly on arms trafficking in DR Congo. The United Nations presence in the DR Congo is in the best position to highlight violations of the arms embargo and the trade of illegal arms. They must take the necessary action to end the flow of arms and put in place mechanisms that ensure safeguards against further illicit weapons trade.

The above actions, combined with the imposition of MONUC’s exit strategy must be linked to measurable improvements in the lives of Congolese people. We believe that the UN’s actions in combination with the Congo government’s support will result in eliminating acts of violence committed on civilians in the future.

Now is the time for the United Nations Security Council to support the DR Congo by strengthening and extending MONUC’s mandate. The extreme conditions in the DRC require determined and well planned intervention by MONUC and the entire International Community.

We, the undersigned organizations, urge the United Nations Security Council to strengthen and expand MONUC’s mandate in order to effect an unprecedented change during the most crucial period in the history of DR Congo.

Africa Faith and Justice Network

Air Serv International

Bureau Voluntariat Enfants et Santé

CARE International

Coalition Pluraliste des Patriotes Congolais

Congo Coalition

Congolese American Council for Peace and Development

Congolese Community of Southern California

Empowering Humanity One by One

Franciscans International

Friends of the Congo

Giving Back Africa

Initiatives Femmes Enfants et Developpement

International Foundation for Elections Systems

International Rescue Committee

National Peace Corps Association – Friends of Congo

Open Society Policy Center

Save the DRC

Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur

World Vision International


Security Council Member Contact Information:

Security Council Contact info:

Belgium:

John Verbeke

Telephone: (212) 378-6300
Telefax: (212) 681-7618/7619
E-mail: newyorkun@diplobel.be

China

Wang Guangya

Telephone: (212) 655-6100
Telefax: (212) 634-7626
Telefax: (212) 481-2998 (Ambassador Wang’s Office), (212) 634-7625 (Political Section), (212) 220-6543 (Press Section)
E-mail: chinamission_un@fmprc.gov.cn

Congo

Basil Ikouebe

elephone: (212) 832-6553/6582
Telefax: (212) 832-6558
E-mail: congo@un.int

France

Jean-Marc de la Sabliere

Telephone: 212-308-5700
Telefax: (212) 421-6889
Telefax: (212) 207-8765 (Political Affairs), (212) 486-9120 (Economic and Financial Affairs), 355-2763 (Press Section), (212) 308-0960 (Administrative Section), (212) 319-9634 (Francophonie/Elections)
E-mail: france@un.int

Ghana

Nana Effah-Apenteng

Telephone: (212) 832-1300
Telefax: (212) 751-6743
E-mail: ghanaperm@aol.com

Indonesia

Rezlan Ishar Jenie

Telephone: (212) 972-8333
Telefax: (212) 972-9780

Email : ptri@indonesiamission-ny.org

Italy

Marcello Spatafora

Telephone: (212) 486-9191, (646) 840-5300
Telefax: (212) 486-1036
E-mail: italy@un.int
Website: www.italyun.org

Panama

Ricardo Alberto Arias

Telephone: (212) 557-5001
Telefax: (212) 557-5009
E-mail: pngmission@pngun.org

Peru

Jorge Voto Bernales

Telephone: (212) 687-3336
Telephone: (212) 277-8457 (Press Matters)
Telefax: (212) 972-6975
E-mail: onuper@aol.com

Qatar

Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser

Telephone: (212) 486-9335/9336
Telefax: (212) 758-4952, 308-5630
Telefax: (212) 953-2947 (Security Council)
E-mail: qatar-e@qatarmission.org
E-mail: qsc@qatarmission.org (Security Council)

Russian Federation

Vitaly Churkin

Telephone: (212) 861-4900/4901
Telefax: (212) 628-0252, 517-7427
E-mail: rusun@un.int

Slovakia

Peter Burian

Telephone: (212) 286-8880
Telefax: (212) 286-8419
E-mail: mission@newyork.mfa.sk

South Africa

Dumisani S. Kumalo

Telephone: (212) 213-5583
Telefax: (212) 692-2498
E-mail: pmun@southafrica-newyork.net

United Kingdom

Emyr Jones Parry

Telephone: (212) 745-9200
Telefax: (212) 745-9316
E-mail: uk@un.int
Website: www.ukun.org

United States

Alejandro Daniel Wolff

Telephone: (212) 415-4000
Telefax: (212) 415-4443
Telefax: (212) 415-4341 (Economic Section), (212) 415-4162 (Host Country Affairs), (212) 415-4209 (Legal Affairs), (212) 415-4415 (Political Section), (212) 415-4053 (Press and Public Affairs), (212) 415-4183 (Management Reform), (212) 415-4069 (US Mission Protocol Office)
E-mail: usa@un.int

Ban Ki-Moon's contact information is:

Tel. 212-963-7162

Fax. 212-963-7055

Email: inquiries@un.org