Brussels, 02/05/2012 (Agence Europe) - €18 million have been earmarked by the EU for a four-year programme to promote the access of the population to justice in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the European Commission announced on Wednesday 2 May. This is an initiative taken in partnership with the member states to step up efforts being made to reinforce the justice sector in DRC for several years.
This programme to support the reinforcement of justice (PARJE) was designed in collaboration with the Congolese ministry of justice and will be co-financed by the European Development Fund (EDF) to the tune of €10 million, and by Sweden (some €6 million) and Belgium (€2 million).
It aims mainly to reinforce the capability of the ministry in terms of human resources by means of recruiting new agents and better qualifications for the existing staff. Its other planks all aim to bring the legal services closer to the Congolese citizens. To this end, plans include holding mobile court hearings, to bring justice to remote areas of the country, and support for the network for legal assistance to plaintiffs. Several courts of justice and peace and a courthouse will be built or refurbished in order to increase the amount of justice available. The programme includes gender equality in all of its activities and will pay particular attention to victims of sexual violence.
A similar programme with a total envelope of €29 million (and funded by the European Commission to the tune of €21 million) has been underway in Kinshasa, the Lower Congo area and Western Kasaï for several months.
PARJE takes over from the Programme for the Restoration of Justice in Eastern Congo (REJUSCO), which was co-funded by the EU and has recently come to an end. (AN/transl.fl)