Council Decision (CFSP) 2015/2006Show full title

Article 3 U.K. Mandate

1. In order to achieve the Union's policy objectives in relation to the Horn of Africa, the mandate of the EUSR shall be to:

(a) on the basis of the Strategic Framework and its Regional Action Plan, engage with all relevant stakeholders in the region, governments, regional authorities, international and regional organisations, civil society and diasporas, with a view to furthering the Union's objectives, and contribute to a better understanding of the role of the Union in the region;

(b) engage with major actors outside the region with influence within the Horn of Africa, in the interests of tackling issues of broader regional stability, including with regard to the Red Sea and Western Indian Ocean. Those contacts shall include bilateral engagement with the United States of America, the countries of the Gulf, Egypt, Turkey and China, regional contacts with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and interaction with other relevant actors as they emerge;

(c) represent the Union in relevant international fora, as appropriate, and ensure visibility for Union support to crisis management, as well as conflict resolution and prevention;

(d) encourage and support effective political and security cooperation and economic integration in the region through the Union's partnership with the African Union (AU) and regional organisations, in particular the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD);

(e) follow political developments in the region and contribute to the development of the Union's policy towards the region, including in relation to Somalia, Sudan, South Sudan and Eritrea, the Ethiopia-Eritrea border dispute and implementation of the Algiers Agreement, the Djibouti-Eritrea border dispute, the Nile Basin initiative and other concerns in the region that impact on its security, stability and prosperity;

(f) examine trans-boundary challenges, in particular on migration and, upon request, engage in dialogues on migration with relevant stakeholders and contribute more generally to the Union's policy on migration and refugees with respect to the region, in line with the Union's political priorities, in order to increase cooperation, including on return and readmission;

(g) with regard to Somalia, and working in close coordination with the Head of the Union Delegation to Somalia and relevant regional and international partners, including the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Special Representative for Somalia, the AU and IGAD, continue to contribute actively to actions and initiatives leading to further stabilisation and post-transition arrangements for Somalia, building on the New Deal Compact of 2013 and the progress in federal state-formation, and with a view to achieving a credible and inclusive electoral process in Somalia in 2016. In addition, the EUSR shall continue to support the development of the security sector in Somalia, including through the Union's CSDP missions deployed in the region;

(h) with regard to Sudan, and working in close cooperation with the Heads of the Union Delegation in Khartoum and to the AU in Addis Ababa, contribute to the coherence and effectiveness of Union policy towards Sudan and support political solutions to the ongoing conflicts in Darfur, Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile, and national reconciliation through a holistic political process. In this regard, the EUSR shall contribute to a coherent international approach with the AU and in particular the AU High Level Implementation Panel for Sudan and South Sudan (AUHIP), the UN and other leading regional and international stakeholders, keeping in mind also the need to support the peaceful coexistence of Sudan and South Sudan, in particular through implementation of the Addis Agreements and resolution of the outstanding issues following the Comprehensive Peace Agreement;

(i) with regard to South Sudan, building on the recently-signed Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict (ARC) in South Sudan, continue to engage at a regional level, particularly with IGAD, the AU, UN, South Sudan's neighbours and other leading international partners, to ensure implementation of the agreement. In this regard the EUSR shall work in close cooperation with the Heads of the EU Delegations in Juba and to the AU in Addis Ababa;

(j) follow closely other trans-boundary challenges affecting the Horn of Africa, with a focus on radicalisation and terrorism, but looking also at maritime security and piracy, organised crime, smuggling and trafficking of weapons, wildlife products, drugs and other contraband, and any political and security consequences of humanitarian crises;

(k) promote humanitarian access throughout the region;

(l) contribute to the implementation of Council Decision 2011/168/CFSP(1) and the Union's human rights policy, in cooperation with the EUSR for Human Rights, including the EU Guidelines on human rights, in particular the EU Guidelines on children and armed conflict as well as the EU Guidelines on violence against women and girls and combating all forms of discrimination against them, and the Union's policy regarding UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000), including by monitoring and reporting on developments as well as formulating recommendations in this regard.

2. For the purpose of the fulfilment of the mandate, the EUSR shall, inter alia:

(a) advise and report on the definition of Union positions in international fora, as appropriate, in order to promote proactively the Union's comprehensive policy approach towards the Horn of Africa;

(b) maintain an overview of all activities of the Union.

(1)

Council Decision 2011/168/CFSP of 21 March 2011 on the International Criminal Court and repealing Common Position 2003/444/CFSP (OJ L 76, 22.3.2011, p. 56).