Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)
DRC’s first NAP was released in 2010, the second in 2013, and the third and most recent in 2018, covering the period 2019-2022. There does not appear to be a further NAP in progress.
Objectives of the 2019-2022 NAP
There are four strategic objectives (Axes), each linked to various parts of UN Resolution 1325 and later UN resolutions relating to Women Peace and Security. Each of these overarching objectives are supported by operational objectives.
Axis 1 – Inclusion: Increase the number of women (in particular adolescent and young women) in decision-making bodies, negotiations and peacekeeping missions, in addition to any other mechanism with a bearing on peace and security.
- Helping to raise the inclusion rate of women and young women to 20% within local, provincial, national, regional, and international institutions and mechanisms for preventing, managing, and resolving conflict, and in the security service.
- Helping to raise to 20% the inclusion rate of women including young women in decision-making bodies of socio-political, economic, public and private institutions.
Axis 2 - Prevention: Prevent all forms of violation of the rights of women and girls during and after armed conflict.
- Large-scale publicisation of legal instruments promoting the inclusion of women in political and public governance and Resolution 1325 from the Security Council.
- Setting up community-based mechanisms for early warning and peaceful resolution of conflict.
- Reducing the rate of recruitment of child soldiers (young girls and boys) within armed factions.
- Helping to raise the inclusion rate of women, adolescents and young women in decision-making bodies within the security services.
- Reinforcing control of and reducing the circulation of small arms and light weapons.
Axis 3 – Protection: Assure protection of rights for women, young women, children and other vulnerable persons during and after conflict.
- Guaranteeing respect for the rights of women, adolescents and young women, and for other vulnerable and marginalized persons (persons living with disability, indigenous persons, refugees and displaced persons, etc.) during and after conflict.
- Combating impunity for sexual violence and other violations of the rights of women, adolescents, young women and girls during and after armed conflict.
Axis 4 – Recovery: In post-conflict situations, support the empowerment of women, in particular adolescent and young women, which is one of the determining factors contributing in the short term to re-establishment of stability, reintegration, socio-economic progress and durable peace.
- Integrating the dimension of gender into the management and peaceful resolution of conflict.
- Guaranteeing the socio-economic empowerment of women and adolescents and young women victims of conflict.
Commentary
The Democratic Republic of the Congo went through two civil wars in the 1990s and 2000s. The country is still far from being peaceful as it continues to deal with the presence of armed groups, notably in the eastern part of its territory. As a result, the people of the DRC, especially women and children, suffer from widespread human rights abuses and violence. There are some six million displaced persons within the country, of which it is estimated 60% are women.
Civil Society involvement in development of the NAP
Civil society organisations were involved in the evaluation of the earlier NAPs as well as in the drafting of the current one. Its delegates are included at national and provincial levels of the Steering Committee, which is tasked with guaranteeing a successful implementation of the NAP.
UN Peacekeeping Statistics
As of July 2023, the DRC does not contribute any peacekeepers or other personnel to UN peacekeeping missions.
Women in Peacekeeping
The NAP is primarily focused on combating conflict-related gender-based violence and improving the position of women and children. It also includes the aim of recruiting more women into the armed forces and the police and promoting them to higher decision-making positions. However, the document does not mention the recruitment of women into international missions.
References and Sources
Unofficial translation of the DRC NAP 2019-2022 into English:
UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs: Democratic Republic of the Congo | OCHA (unocha.org) (undated)
Displacement continues to disproportionately impact women in the DRC - Democratic Republic of the Congo | ReliefWeb June 2023
United Nations Peacekeeping. (July 2023): Troop and police contributors | United Nations Peacekeeping
