Kinshasa, 9 September 2013 - Assistant Secretary General (ASG) John Barkat, Head of the United Nations Ombudsman and Mediation Services (UNOMS), visited MONUSCO from 2 to 6 September 2013. The purpose of the visit was to encourage the use of informal conflict resolution services provided by UNOMS as an initial step to resolving workplace concerns. During his visit, ASG Barket met with the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (DSRSG) for Humanitarian Coordination and Resident Representative, Moustapha Soumaré, and the DSRSG for the Rule of Law, Abdallah Wafy. He also met with the MONUSCO Senior Management Team, Heads of the UN Country Team based in Kinshasa, Chiefs of the Mission Support Division, as well as representatives of the staff unions.

To respond to the needs of peacekeeping staff in the region, the Kinshasa Regional Office of UNOMS was established in 2010. Other regional offices are located in Entebbe, Bangkok, Geneva, Nairobi, Santiago and Vienna.

In addition to providing services to staff in Kinshasa, in-person conflict resolution services are also provided through periodic visits to various Missions and duty stations within the country. This year, the Kinshasa Regional Office has visited MONUSCO Offices in Bukavu, Dungu, Bunia, Entebbe, Kananga, Mbuji Mayi, Goma and Matadi.