REIPER advocates at the UN for the respect of children's rights in Congo

In several of our projects, we dedicate a component of our actions to international advocacy. While our actions provide crucial support to children and families, the implementation of their rights cannot happen without the involvement of states. Therefore, we support our on-the-ground partners in their national and international advocacy efforts. In particular, we actively participate in the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism, which involves assessing the human rights situation in each UN member country every five years. Other states conduct the review, issuing recommendations to improve human rights compliance. The crucial role of civil society actors lies in their ability to provide information and concrete recommendations for the state to enhance the situation over the next five years.

Pre-session of the UPR for the Republic of Congo

This week, our partner in Congo, Mr. Likibi, the National Coordinator of REIPER, spoke at the United Nations during the pre-session that brings together civil society and examining states. He presented the findings of our alternative report and our recommendations in support of children's rights. Mr. Likibi addressed several key topics, such as the child protection system in Congo, violence against children, juvenile justice, the right to health and education, and the rights of indigenous children, those with disabilities, and those living on the streets.

During this week, our advocacy team met with diplomatic representations from numerous countries at the United Nations, to present our findings and request them to convey our recommendations to the Congolese government so that, in the future, children's rights become a priority for the government.