Report of the UN Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Abstract

On 8 October 2002, the UN Panel of Experts on Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and Other Forms of Wealth of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) submitted its report to the Secretary-General. As a result of issues arising from that report, the UN Security Council has extended the Panel's tenure for six months to enable it to gather reactions to the report. The new mandate also requires the panel to review and analyse information gathered, verify it and assess the impact of actions taken by governments in response to previous recommendations. The final Panel report is expected in June 2003. This article looks at the content of the initial report, providing an overview on the main actors, their strategies and the Panel's conclusions and recommendations.