The Secretariat of the Conference
The Conference Secretariat is the technical and coordinating organ of the Conference. It is headed by an Executive Secretary and is responsible for coordinating, facilitating and monitoring the implementation of the Pact and Programmes of Action to achieve peace, security and development in the Great Lakes Region. The Secretariat also has a mandate to coordinate the implementation of the decisions of the Summit. The Secretariat has its headquarters in Bujumbura, Burundi.
It has the following decentralised organs/centres:
- Levy Mwanawasa Regional Centre on Democracy and Good Governance (LMRC); it was established in 2011 and is mandated to conduct operational research and analysis to contribute to policy-making processes coordinated by the Secretariat.
- Regional Training Facility (RTF) on SGBV, Kampala; was established in 2014 pursuant to ICGLR Protocol on Prevention and Suppression of Sexual Violence against women and children. The mandate is to “…train and sensitize police units, judicial officers, medical officers, social workers and other categories of persons who handle cases of sexual violence.
- Expanded Joint Verification Mechanism (EJVM), Goma; It was launched in September 2012 in Goma and comprises of military experts from the ICGLR Member States, South Africa, MONUSCO and the AU. It monitors and carries out investigations on security incidents.
- Joint Intelligence Fusion Centre (JIFC), Goma; It is made up of two representatives each from the 11 Member States, and is managed by a rotating Regional Coordination Committee (RCC). The JIFC reports to the RCC and the Chair of the ICGLR Chiefs of Defense Staff who in turn reports to the Committee of Ministers of Defence.
- Joint Follow-up Mechanism (JFM) on the ADF, Kasese; It was established on 18th February 2017. It comprises experts on Counterterrorism from the DRC, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
- National Coordination Mechanisms (NCMs)