I welcome efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to prosecute perpetrators on charges of mass rape and murder—but more must be done to deliver justice for the victims. I met with the Defence Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of the DRC in London last week when he was attending the Global summit on ending sexual violence in conflict. I emphasised to him that ending impunity was fundamental to tackling the scourge of sexual and gender-based violence. He confirmed his Government's commitment to tackling sexual and gender based violence and to ending impunity for the perpetrators.

The British embassy in Kinshasa sponsors a range of projects to tackle sexual violence in the DRC focusing on security sector reform and improving service provision for survivors. During his visit to eastern DRC in March 2013 the Foreign Secretary announced over £1 million in funding to a range of organisations tackling rape and sexual violence. The UK has supported the deployment of an international expert to build capacity of health and legal professionals to address accountability and the investigation and documentation of sexual violence crimes.

The Foreign Secretary has publicly called on the Congolese authorities to continue in their efforts to seek out and prosecute the remaining perpetrators. Senior

officials at our embassy in Kinshasa have, jointly with EU Heads of Mission and independently, also raised the issue directly with the Government of the DRC.

The International Protocol on the documentation and investigation of sexual violence in conflict, which was field tested in the DRC, was launched at the Global summit on 12 June. I hope that the Protocol will be deployed widely, helping to ensure that more and more perpetrators of sexual and gender-based violence the world over will be brought to justice.

Decades of conflict and a lack of accountability and transparency have left the country unstable, lacking infrastructure and social services, and falling well short of its economic potential.

Weak governance in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) also presents many challenges. But after the surrender of the armed group M23 late last year, and recent indications that elements of the FDLR armed group also intend to surrender, 2014 provides an opportunity for greater stability in the Great Lakes.

During my visit to DRC in February, I witnessed the country’s potential. I emphasised to the DRC Government including President Kabila the importance of making progress on key areas, including elections; economic reform; the disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of former combatants; and the reform of the security sector. We discussed how the UK might best support the development and stability of the region through our support for the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework, as well as our significant development programme.

DFID expect to spend £72.6 million on governance and security in DRC between 2011 to 2015. This support has meant that in 2011, 31 million people registered to vote—of which 52% were women. By 2015, 1,025 communities will be empowered to monitor local government performance, 10 million citizens will be trained on elections, rights and responsibilities and over 100 civil society organisations will be empowered to monitor Government performance and influence Government.

UK Ministers have discussions with their counterparts on a wide range of issues. The terms of US development aid is a matter for the US Government.

On 12 December I spoke to DRC President Kabila, and I have spoken regularly to the DRC Foreign Minister and also to the Chair of the Elections Commission to remind them of their obligations under the Peace Security and Cooperation Framework (PSCF). Senior Foreign and Commonwealth officials in Kinshasa have regular dialogues the DRC Government, in all relevant departments, about the need to make progress under the PSCF. In my statement on the conclusion of the Kampala Talks, I highlighted that the focus should now move swiftly to implementation of the PSCF. This remains the best hope for building sustainable peace and prosperity in eastern DRC.

Tackling the issue of sexual violence in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is central to resolving the conflict, building peace in the region, and tackling the culture of impunity. This was highlighted by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), during his visit in March this year. The UK is working on the ground in DRC with other donors and the UN Mission to integrate the PSVI into health and security sector programmes. Specific examples are an expert in a hospital in eastern DRC and funding to teach new Congolese army recruits about human rights, including the fight against sexual violence and impunity. We are also pressing for a strengthened Sexual Violence Unit within the UN Mission to lead the UN wider effort in country to tackle sexual violence. However, it is vital that the DRC leads the efforts to tackle sexual violence. To that end, we welcome the DRC's endorsement of the Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Conflict, launched by the Secretary of State at the UN General Assembly last month. The Declaration has been endorsed by 132 countries.

My most recent discussions with my international counterparts on implementation of the Peace, Security and Co-operation Framework for

eastern Democratic Republic of Congo were held in New York in the margins of the UN General Assembly from 23-27 September. We welcomed the commitments made at the recent meeting of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region on 13 September. We also encouraged the early involvement of the international donor community in drafting the benchmarks that would underpin and measure progress in implementation of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework.

My most recent discussions with my counterparts from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda and with UN officials were held in New York in the margins of the UN General Assembly from 23 to 27 September. In these, I outlined the importance of ending the conflict in eastern DRC, and of ensuring that there should be no impunity for human rights abusers.

The UK is fully supportive of the Peace, Security and Cooperation Framework (PSCF) including the role economic development can play in securing lasting stability. As part of this, I have spoken to Mary Robinson about the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, most recently in the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York from 23-27 September. In addition, we welcome the leadership role the World Bank is playing on economic development in the region and on the PSCF, including the first ever joint visit by the UN Secretary-General and the World Bank executive director in May.

I am fully supportive of the important roles being played by the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, the Southern African Development Community and the African Union and have made clear with interlocutors that a regional solution to the problems in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo is necessary if lasting peace is to be secured.

I have made clear to my Rwandan and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) counterparts in recent discussions that the UK is fully supportive of genuine efforts to secure a lasting peace in eastern DRC, and that full implementation of the Peace, Security and Co-operation Framework, led by the UN Special Envoy Mary Robinson, is needed to achieve this.

My most recent discussions with my counterparts from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Rwanda and with UN officials were held in New York in the margins of the UN General Assembly from 23-27 September. In these, I outlined the importance of ending the conflict in eastern DRC, and of ensuring that there should no impunity for human rights abusers.

The Force Intervention Brigade (FIB), under the same mandate as the rest of MONUSCO (UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DR Congo) is in the process of deploying to the region. The UK fully supports the work of the whole of MONUSCO. We remain confident that MONUSCO's presence, and that of the FIB within it, contributes positively to peace and security in eastern DRC. We will continue to monitor the situation, and MONUSCO's operations, through the UN Security Council and our representatives in the DRC. I and my officials have been in contact with Mary Robinson, the UN Special Envoy for the Great Lakes, on a number of occasions, in the UK and in the region, to discuss the situation in eastern DRC and to assure her of the UK's full support for her work.

I welcome and support the appointment of Mary Robinson as the UN Special Envoy to the Great Lakes region. I met her in May to discuss the Peace, Security and Co-operation Framework for the Great Lakes (PSCF) and since then senior officials have continued to engage with her regularly. We are working closely with her and partners in the region on supporting the implementation of the PSCF.

The UK continues to have regular discussions on the PSCF with a range of key international partners, on the ground in Kigali, Kinshasa and Kampala, as well as at the UN, the African Union, the EU and elsewhere.

I remain deeply concerned about the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and the continued reports of violence there.

The first meeting of the regional oversight body of the Peace, Security and Co-operation Framework (PSCF) was chaired by the Secretary-General of the UN, Ban Ki-Moon at the end of May. I welcome the progress made so far by the DRC in starting to develop its reform plans. The UK continues to press all signatories to work together to implement their PSCF commitments in full. This is an important step towards building lasting peace and prosperity in the region.

The lack of provincial and local elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remains a matter of concern. Since the DRC's presidential and parliamentary elections in November last year, the British ambassador and his staff have regularly underlined to the DRC Government, including to the National Independent Electoral Commission (CENI), that we support the recommendations of the EU election observation mission report. This includes the provision that the DRC Government should hold provincial and local elections within reasonable deadlines and in the best possible conditions. We welcome the passage in January 2013 of election reform legislation by the National Assembly, and hope that early and effective implementation of the legislation, including the appointment of new CENI leadership, will pave the way to early and high quality local and provincial elections.

The UK regards the Peace and Security Framework as the potential basis for future action by regional governments, and the international community, to ensure that long-term peace and stability arc established in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. We are disappointed that negotiations were not concluded in time for the framework to be signed at the recent African Union summit in Addis Ababa. Negotiations on it continue. We remain in close touch with all the parties involved and are urging them to conclude their discussions soon.

The Department for International Development undertook an assessment of the impact of the conflict on DFID programmes in North Kivu in August 2012 and have been closely following any changes to that original assessment. Elements of our programme have come to a complete halt as the conflict jeopardises their delivery. We have continued providing life-saving humanitarian assistance to those in need, as well as basic services, such as access to water and sanitation.

The current conflict illustrates that a coordinated international approach to diplomacy and aid programmes is fundamental to ensuring that UK investments produce long-lasting results in eastern DRC. Officials from DFID, FCO and MOD are meeting in Kampala this week to determine how the UK should work together to promote peace, stability, and development in eastern DRC. FCO and DFID Ministers will consider options on this in February.

While our approach will be geographically focussed on eastern DRC, it will consider regional dynamics and how a regional political settlement could be supported. The UK sees the UN Secretary General's initiative to bring countries in the region together to support stability in eastern DRC (the Regional Framework Agreement) as an important opportunity to promote long term peace and stability. We are actively following this process and we urge all the parties involved to conclude these discussions soon.