On March 30 2018, the Operational Guide for Child Protection Interventions intended to Child Protection and Sexual Violence Prevention Squadrons was unveiled at the headquarters of the General Police Station.

The ceremony was chaired by the Assistant General Commissioner of the Congolese National Police, the head of Canada’s diplomatic mission in the DRC, the Minister of Social Affairs’ Chief of Staff and the Batela Mwana Project Chief.

Several actors involved in Child Protection, such as ministries, the police and the justice sector as well a national and international organizations working in the child protection field took part in the ceremony. The three main parts of the ceremony were: 

• the respective speeches by the Batela Mwana Project Leader, the Head of Diplomatic Mission and the Deputy General Commissioner of the Congolese National Police;
• the presentations about the history of the guide development by the Batela Mwana Project Technical Coordinator and Squadron Commander Bukavu;
• the plea made by a child belonging to an association of children reporters and whose role was to make a plea to the authorities;

Participants welcomed the good collaboration and partnership that led to the development of this guide, drawn from the expertise of police, justice, social sector actors and the IBCR.

The Head of Diplomatic Mission spoke about the goals and achievements of the Batela Mwana project  and highlighted the fact that the guide is a significant step forward in meeting the commitments of the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

After the distribution of the copies to the participants, the child asked the audience: “The Master (Jesus Christ) said: He who hears these words and does not put them into practice is similar to a foolish man who built his house on the sand. Do not build on the sand, do not just talk and listen, put this guide into practice so that the rights of the child are better respected. “