Kisangani, 9 November 2012 - The United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO) facilitated the holding on 5 November of the first meeting of the Provincial Committee on Monitoring of the Criminal Justice Chain for Province Orientale.

Several State and non-State actors and representatives of international organizations involved in the justice sector participated in the meeting, which took place at the appeals court in the provincial capital, Kisangani, in the presence of the President of the Provincial Assembly.

This meeting is critical for improving the administration of justice in this province, which has been suffering from the lack of sufficient resources for proper criminal investigation and prosecution. It has been difficult to organize local mobile courts to prosecute cases, or to carry out visits and inspections to police custody cells and other places of detention.

These problems have hampered speedy processing of criminal cases, complicating further the work of judicial police officers, inspectors, public prosecutors, judges and civil and military magistrates. And the fact that the Provincial Committee on Monitoring of the Criminal Justice Chain gathered together with all partners interested in criminal justice, reflects a need to respond to these challenges.

This first meeting marks the launch a new framework for consultation, information and experience exchange amongst partners working in the criminal justice field in the province, including MONUSCO, agencies of the United Nations system, and a number of international organizations.

At the conclusion of this discussion, the participants decided to meet once a month to further their reflections aimed at improving criminal justice in this province.

Codjo Houegniglo/ MONUSCO