In February 2013, 11 nations signed the Peace, Security and Cooperation (PSC) Framework for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the region, in a renewed drive to end the recurring cycles of devastating conflict in eastern DRC which impacts stability and development in the Great Lakes area of Africa. On 31 January 2014, two more countries, Kenya and Sudan, became signatories of the PSC Framework. The framework aims to help "address the root causes of conflict and put an end to recurring cycles of violence" in eastern DRC and the Great Lakes Region.
The PSC Framework outlines key national, regional, and international level actions required to end the recurring cycles of violence in eastern DRC and the region. It provides space for collaboration between the countries in the region, regional organizations and the international community to work together and address the structural causes of instability in the DRC and the region.