IBCR renews its commitment in DRC to strengthen the child protection system

21 September 2022

To support the Congolese government’s efforts to strengthen the protection of the country’s children, the IBCR began a five-year, six-month project this year to help build an effective child protection system capable of addressing the country’s diverse challenges. The initiative also aims to strengthen the role and power of children in their own protection and emphasises equal rights for girls and boys.

The IBCR, with its expertise and experience in the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2015 with the “Tonga Mpo Na Bolamu Ya Mwana” project, renews its commitment to support the country’s authorities in their efforts to better protect children.

The DRC has been working for many years to strengthen its protection system to ensure that all children in the country have their rights respected and that their lives are free from violence and exploitation. However, in the face of crises, conflicts, epidemics, and rapidly changing contexts, children in the DRC still face many violations of their rights.

MOBILISATION OF LESS CONSIDERED SECTORS : 

This project aims in particular to enhance and strengthen the capacities and coordination of three sectors usually little considered as child protection actors, such as :

  • The penitentiary sector, in order to guarantee the rights of children deprived of their liberty, from their detention to a safe and inclusive rehabilitation.
  • The labour inspectorate, to help identify situations of economic or sexual exploitation, which often exist informally and out of sight of mainstream child protection actors.
  • The private travel sector, in order to better identify, prevent and act on violations of children’s rights and particularly on economic or sexual exploitation brought about by the high level of national and international mobility in the DRC.

It is by multiplying the number of actors concerned with child protection that we can better prevent and identify child victims of abuse, violence and exploitation, report violence more effectively, act in a more coordinated way, denounce and fight against impunity.Martin Causin, Executive Director of the International Bureau for Children's Rights (IBCR)

STRENGTHENING BASED ON 3 LEVELS FOR SUSTAINABLE CHANGE :

  • Increasing the role of children, especially girls, and civil society organisations
  • Development of more appropriate practices in the targeted sectors
  • Strengthening coordination between actors in all target sectors

Through the implementation of this project, IBCR and its partners aim to contribute to the creation of an environment where all children can claim and exercise their rights, by building an effective and sustainable protection system.

For more information on the DRC project

This project is made possible through the financial support of Global Affairs Canada.

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