📋 Tender Overview
For more than two decades, the eastern DRC has been facing a situation of insecurity with a deterioration in human rights, social cohesion and the humanitarian situation. Through this programme, Switzerland intends to contribute to the promotion of peace and respect for human rights by strengthening the institutional capacities of decentralised territorial entities (ETD) and local conflict resolution structures and by promoting collaboration between local state institutions and key civil society actors.
Country/region Topic Period Budget
Democratic Republic of Congo
Conflict & fragility
Governance
nothemedefined
Conflict prevention
Democratic participation and civil society
Media & freedom of information
01.08.2024 - 31.12.2026
CHF 4,000,000
The project in brief
Background In the DRC, decades of conflict and violence, exacerbated by the problem of access to natural resources (mining and land in particular) and political and security tensions, have had a negative impact on the population's trust in the authorities, leading to problems of protection of civilians in the face of human rights violations. Decentralization instituted in 2006 as a mode of management of the country constitutes an opportunity to strengthen the role and responsibility of ETDs and elected officials in addressing local needs and the interests of the populations. Despite their crucial role, ETDs face significant challenges, particularly in terms of institutional capacities, transparency and accountability. The absence of State authority and the lack of resources are major obstacles hindering their effectiveness. In addition, with regard to retrocession, relations between ETDs and central authorities can sometimes be tense and do not promote the implementation of local policies. This programme therefore aims to strengthen local governance by addressing these challenges in an integrated and holistic manner, by promoting collaboration and dialogue between the different actors in the governance landscape.
Objectives Strengthening social cohesion, protecting fundamental rights and involving citizens in local governance strengthens the accountability of governments, improves the capacity of the State to respond to the priority needs of populations and contributes to reducing the causes of conflicts.
Target groups
12 ETDs including 2 cities, 3 communes and 7 Chiefdoms
Provincial deputies and municipal elected officials
Partner civil society organizations
Supervisory ministries and their technical services
The entire population of the intervention zone
Medium-term outcomes
The institutional and professional capacities of authorities, ETD managers and local elected representatives to respond satisfactorily and accountably to the needs of the population are strengthened
The media promote local governance and the strengthening of spaces for dialogue and induce behavioral changes at different levels
The promotion of peace and the protection of fundamental righ
