Mbandaka, 11 April 2013 – From 8 to 10 April 2013, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), in collaboration with the Project to Support Decentralization and Local Development (PADDL) which is supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), held in Gbadolite a capacity-building workshop for officers of decentralized territorial entities and civil society actors of the territory of Mobayi-Mbongo.

Designed to build the capacities of local government officials and the public on the management of local affairs, the workshop featured five discussion areas: the handling of public finance, the keeping of civil registers, the functioning of customary courts at the level of sectors, and the development of legislation on the basis of reference legal texts. The event also provided an opportunity to review the current process of formulating a local development plan for the town of Gbadolite.
The workshop was held in the context of the national programme of decentralization of governance and strengthening governing capacities at the local level, and had 30 participants: 23 from the local administration and 7 from civil society.

One of the recommendations from this meeting was that local authorities such as district commissioners and mayors should also participate in training sessions of this type, because this would help to be fully awareness of their responsibility toward the people whom they administer. The participants also requested that appropriate and adequate documentation on good governance be made available to them.

Jean-Tobie Okala/ MONUSCO