To help the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) fight corruption and promote equal and equitable access to justice in the country, the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) is carrying out the Promoting Rule of Law Activity (PROLA) as a subcontractor under MSI/TetraTech, funded by the United States Agency for International Development. In 2023, ABA ROLI contributed to a Baseline Political Economy Analysis of justice in the DRC, which helped the project identify five core recommendations to improve rule of law in the country.
Promoting Rule of Law Activity
In June 2023, MSI hosted the project launch event in Kinshasa, where ABA ROLI presented our work in the country. As a relatively new project, so far ABA ROLI has reviewed and finalized a terms of reference and planning for several activities expected to be carried out in the coming months, including a justice needs survey and collaboration with MSI to create an international framework for judicial excellence in pilot courts. Target provinces for this project have been identified as North Kivu, Haut Katanga, and Kinshasa.
In May 2024, ABA ROLI’s Senior Database Specialist participated in workshops hosted by the PROLA team to introduce the International Framework for Court Excellence to the Matete Court of Appeals and the prosecutor’s office. A follow-on workshop will be conducted at the end of the month to present a court self-assessment tool. Additionally, the Senior Database Specialist continues to collect feedback and recommendations from court actors as well as UNDP partners to create a consolidated court database system that can be implemented in pilot courts identified in Kinshasa, North Kivu, and Haut Katanga.