Council Decision (CFSP) 2018/906 of 25 June 2018 extending the mandate of the European Union Special Representative for the Sahel

COUNCIL DECISION (CFSP) 2018/906

of 25 June 2018

extending the mandate of the European Union Special Representative for the Sahel

Article 1

European Union Special Representative

Article 2

Policy objectives

Article 3

Mandate

• (a) actively contribute to the implementation of the Strategy and its RAP and to coordinate and further develop the Union's integrated approach to the regional crises, with a view to enhancing the overall coherence and effectiveness of Union activities in the Sahel;

• (b) engage with all relevant stakeholders of the region, governments, regional organisations, in particular the G5 Sahel and its Joint Force in regard to which attention should, inter alia, be paid to promoting respect for human rights and non-military elements of the force such as the police component, international organisations, civil society and diasporas, including with all the countries of the Maghreb and Lake Chad Basin, with a view to furthering the Union's objectives and contribute to a better understanding of the role of the Union in the Sahel;

• (c) represent and promote the interests and visibility of the Union in relevant regional and international fora, including the participation in the Comité de Suivi of the Mali Peace Agreement, and facilitate fully coordinated and comprehensive Union action in the region drawing on all relevant instruments, including development cooperation such as the Sahel Alliance, Member States' activities and Union support to crisis management and conflict prevention through the European Union military mission to contribute to the training of the Malian armed Forces (EUTM Mali), the European Union CSDP mission in Mali (EUCAP Sahel Mali), the European Union CSDP mission in Niger (EUCAP Sahel Niger), and stabilisation action under Article 28 of the Treaty;

• (d) maintain close cooperation with the UN, in particular the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission, the African Union (AU), in particular the AU High Representative for Mali and the Sahel, the G5 Sahel, in particular the G5 Presidency and its Permanent Secretary, the Economic Community of West African States, the lake Chad Basin Commission and other leading national, regional and international stakeholders including other special envoys for the Sahel, as well as with the relevant authorities in the Maghreb and Middle East area;

• (e) closely follow the regional and trans-boundary dimensions of the challenges facing the region, including terrorism, organised crime, arms smuggling, human trafficking and smuggling, drug trafficking, refugee and migration flows and related financial flows; in close cooperation with the EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator, contribute to the further implementation of the EU Counter-Terrorism Strategy;

• (f) closely follow the humanitarian, political, security and development consequences of large scale refugee and migration flows and related illicit financial flows across the region; 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; work with countries of the Sahel to follow up action agreed at the Valetta Summit in November 2015, including the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Stability and Addressing Root Causes of Irregular Migration and Displaced Persons in Africa and in connection with the Partnership Frameworks;

• (g) maintain regular high level political contacts with the countries in the region affected by terrorism and international crime and ensure the Union's key role in the international efforts to fight terrorism and international crime. This includes the Union's efforts to enhance its support to the security sector through the regionalisation of the CSDP missions and active support to regional capacity-building in particular the Joint Force G5 Sahel, its coordination with international players such as MINUSMA, and its relation with the local population, in line with UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 2359 (2017) and UNSCR 2391 (2017), and ensuring that the root causes of terrorism and international crime in the Sahel are adequately addressed;

• (h) closely follow the political, security and development consequences of humanitarian crises in the region;

• (i) with regard to Mali, contribute to the stabilisation of the country, in particular a full return to constitutional normalcy and governance throughout the territory and a credible national inclusive dialogue in the overall framework of the Mali Peace Agreement. This also includes promoting institution building, security sector reform, in line with UNSCR 2364 (2017), and long-term peace building and reconciliation and fighting against corruption and impunity in Mali, as well as facilitating active and fully coordinated Union efforts to promote a swift implementation of the Mali Peace Agreement;

• (j) contribute to the implementation of the Union's human rights policy in the region 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 on violence against women and girls and combating all forms of discrimination against them, and the Union's policy on Women, Peace and Security, and promote inclusiveness and gender equality in the state building process, in line with UNSCR 1325 (2000) and subsequent resolutions on Women, Peace and Security, including UNSCR 2242 (2015). The contribution will include monitoring and reporting on developments, as well as formulating recommendations in this regard and maintain regular contacts with the relevant authorities in Mali and in the region, the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the human rights defenders and observers in the region;

• (k) follow up and report on compliance with relevant UNSCRs, in particular UNSCRs 2056 (2012), 2071 (2012), 2085 (2012), 2100 (2013), 2295 (2016), 2364 (2017) and 2374 (2017), 2359 (2017), 2391 (2017).

• (a) advise and report on the formulation of Union positions in regional and international fora, as appropriate, in order to proactively promote and strengthen the Union's comprehensive approach towards the crisis in the Sahel;

• (b) maintain an overview of all activities of the Union and cooperate closely with relevant Union delegations.

Article 4

Implementation of the mandate

Article 5

Financing

The financial reference amount intended to cover the expenditure related to the EUSR's mandate for the period from 1 March 2020 to 28 February 2021 shall be EUR 1 600 000 .

Article 6

Constitution and composition of the team

Article 7

Privileges and immunities of the EUSR and the EUSR's staff

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

Article 8

Security of EU classified information

The EUSR and the members of EUSR's team shall respect the security principles and minimum standards established by Council Decision 2013/488/EU ([^E0001]).

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 accordance with the EUSR's 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 specific security plan based on guidance from the EEAS, including specific physical, organisational and procedural security measures, governing the management of the secure movement of personnel to and within the area of responsibility, as well as management of security incidents and providing for a 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 area of responsibility;

• (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 area of responsibility, based on the risk ratings assigned to that 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

The EUSR shall regularly provide the HR and the PSC with reports, including an interim mandate report in spring 2019. The EUSR shall also report to Council working parties, as necessary. Regular reports shall be circulated through the COREU network. The EUSR may provide the Foreign Affairs Council with reports. In accordance with Article 36 of the Treaty, the EUSR may be involved in briefing the European Parliament.

Article 12

Coordination with other Union actors

Article 13

Assistance in relation to claims

The EUSR and the EUSR's staff shall assist in providing elements to respond to any claims and obligations arising from the mandates of the previous EUSR for Sahel, and shall provide administrative assistance and access to relevant files for such purposes.

Article 14

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 31 October 2018 and a comprehensive mandate implementation report by 30 November 2019.

The final comprehensive mandate implementation report of the EUSR shall be presented by 30 April 2021.

Article 15

Entry into force

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

[^E0001]: Council Decision 2013/488/EU of 23 September 2013 on the security rules for protecting EU classified information (OJ L 274, 15.10.2013, p. 1).