Council Decision 2012/329/CFSP of 25 June 2012 extending the mandate of the European Union Special Representative or the Horn of Africa

COUNCIL DECISION 2012/329/CFSP

of 25 June 2012

extending the mandate of the European Union Special Representative or the Horn of Africa

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Article 28, Article 31(2) and Article 33 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy,

Whereas:

• (1) On 8 December 2011, the Council adopted Decision 2011/819/CFSP ([^E0001]) appointing Mr Alexander RONDOS as the European Union Special Representative (EUSR) for the Horn of Africa. The EUSR’s mandate is to expire on 30 June 2012.

• (2) The mandate of the EUSR should be extended for a further period of 12 months.

• (3) The EUSR will implement the mandate in the context of a situation which may deteriorate and could impede the achievement of the objectives of the Union’s external action as set out in Article 21 of the Treaty,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

European Union Special Representative

The mandate of Mr Alexander RONDOS as the EUSR for the Horn of Africa is hereby extended until 31 October 2013. The mandate of the EUSR may be terminated earlier, if the Council so decides, on a proposal from the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (HR).

For the purposes of the mandate of the EUSR, the Horn of Africa is defined as comprising the Republic of Djibouti, the State of Eritrea, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the Republic of Kenya, the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Republic of the Sudan, the Republic of South Sudan and the Republic of Uganda. For issues with broader regional implications, including piracy, the EUSR shall engage with countries and regional entities beyond the Horn of Africa, as appropriate.

In view of the need for a regional approach to the inter-related challenges facing the region, the EUSR for the Horn of Africa shall work in close consultation with the EUSR for Sudan and South Sudan who shall retain primary responsibility for those two countries.

Article 2

Policy objectives

Article 3

Mandate

• (a)engage with all relevant stakeholders of the region, governments, existing 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)represent the Union in relevant international fora, as appropriate, and ensure visibility for Union support to crisis management and prevention;

• (c)encourage and support effective political cooperation and economic integration in the region through the Union’s partnership with the African Union (AU) and sub-regional organisations;

• (d)contribute to the implementation of the Union’s policy towards the Horn of Africa, in close cooperation with the European External Action Service (EEAS), Union delegations in the region and the Commission;

• (e)with regard to Somalia, and working in close coordination with relevant regional and international partners, contribute actively to actions and initiatives leading to the implementation of the Djibouti Peace Agreement and its post-transition arrangements, supporting institution-building, the rule of law, and the establishment of capable governance structures at all levels; improving security; promoting justice, national reconciliation and respect for human rights; improving humanitarian access, especially in South-Central Somalia through appropriate advocacy activities regarding respect for international humanitarian law; and safeguarding compliance with the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality and independence;

• (f)maintain close and active cooperation with the United Nations Secretary-General Special Representative for Somalia, participate in the work of the International Contact Group for Somalia and other relevant fora, and promote a coordinated and coherent international approach towards Somalia, including, through the European Union military mission to contribute to the training of Somali security forces (EUTM Somalia), EUNAVFOR Atalanta, EUCAP Nestor and the Union’s continued support to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), working closely with Member States;

• (g)closely follow the regional dimension of the Somali crisis, including terrorism, arms smuggling, refugee and migration flows, and maritime security, piracy and related financial flows;

• (h)regarding piracy, maintain an overview of all Union actions within the EEAS, the Commission and Member States, and maintain regular high level political contacts with the countries in the region affected by piracy originating in Somalia, the regional organisations, the UN Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia, the UN and other key actors in order to ensure a coherent and comprehensive approach to piracy and to ensure the Union’s key role in the international efforts to fight piracy. This includes the Union’s active support to regional maritime capacity-building and for the judicial treatment of pirates, and ensuring that the root causes of piracy within Somalia are adequately addressed. It also includes continued support to the ESA/IO region in the implementation of its counter piracy strategy and action plan as well as the Djibouti Code of Conduct;

• (i)follow political developments in the region and contribute to the development of the Union policy towards the region, including in relation to the Ethiopia-Eritrea border issue and implementation of the Algiers Agreement, the Nile Basin initiative and other concerns in the region that impact on its security, stability and prosperity;

• (j)follow closely the trans-boundary challenges affecting the Horn of Africa, including any political and security consequences of humanitarian crises;

• (k)contribute to the implementation of the Union’s human rights policy in the Horn of Africa, including the EU Guidelines on human rights, in particular the EU Guidelines on Children and Armed Conflict as well as on violence against women and girls and combating all forms of discrimination against them, and the Union’s policy on Women, Peace and Security, including by monitoring and reporting on developments as well as formulating recommendations in this regard.

• (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 and cooperate closely with all relevant Union delegations;

• (c)establish a presence in Mogadishu.

Article 4

Implementation of the mandate

Article 5

Financing

Article 6

Constitution and composition of the team

Article 7

Privileges and immunities of the EUSR and the staff of the EUSR

The privileges, immunities and further guarantees necessary for the completion and smooth functioning of the mission of the EUSR and the members of the EUSR’s staff shall be agreed with the host country/countries, as appropriate. Member States and the Commission shall grant all necessary support to such effect.

Article 8

Security of EU classified information

The EUSR and the members of the EUSR’s team shall respect the security principles and minimum standards established by Council Decision 2011/292/EU of 31 March 2011 on the security rules for protecting EU classified information ([^E0002]).

Article 9

Access to information and logistical support

Article 10

Security

In accordance with the Union’s policy on the security of personnel deployed outside the Union in an operational capacity under Title V of the Treaty, the EUSR shall take all reasonably practicable measures, in conformity with the mandate and the security situation in the geographical area of responsibility, for the security of all personnel under the EUSR’s direct authority, in particular by:

• (a)establishing a mission-specific security plan based on guidance from the EEAS, including mission-specific physical, organisational and procedural security measures, governing the management of the secure movement of personnel to, and within, the mission area, as well as the management of security incidents and including a mission contingency and evacuation plan;

• (b)ensuring that all personnel deployed outside the Union are covered by high risk insurance as required by the conditions in the mission area;

• (c)ensuring that all members of the EUSR’s team to be deployed outside the Union, including locally contracted personnel, have received appropriate security training before or upon arriving in the mission area, based on the risk ratings assigned to the mission area by the EEAS;

• (d)ensuring that all agreed recommendations made following regular security assessments are implemented, and providing the Council, the HR and the Commission with written reports on their implementation and on other security issues within the framework of the progress report and the report on the implementation of the mandate.

Article 11

Reporting

Article 12

Coordination

Article 13

Review

The implementation of this Decision and its consistency with other contributions from the Union to the region shall be kept under regular review. The EUSR shall present the Council, the HR and the Commission with a progress report by the end of December 2012 and a comprehensive mandate implementation report at the end of the mandate.

Article 14

Entry into force

This Decision shall enter into force on the day of its adoption.

[^E0001]: OJ L 327, 9.12.2011, p. 62.

[^E0002]: OJ L 141, 27.5.2011, p. 17.