Mbandaka, 26 November 2012 – The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), through its Civil Affairs section, organized a four-day institutional capacity strengthening seminar starting on 26 November for civil society thematic working groups in Mbandaka, Equateur province. Overall, the workshop aims at contributing to the process of Congolese civil society self-organization and professionalization, as defined at the National Civil Society Symposium held in Kinshasa in May 2009. Some 50 civil society actors from across the province attended the seminar.

In his remarks at the opening ceremony, the head of MONUSCO's office in Mbandaka, Ould Mohamed El Hacen Mohamed Abdellahi, explained that this seminar was the culmination of a series of training activities undertaken since 2009 by MONUSCO and other partners, in the context of increasing civil society's professionalism. According to him, this collaboration will be even more fruitful with this workshop. "Civil society organizations will have experts and professionals within them, capable of handling sector-specific issues for the development of the province," said Mr. El Hacen Mohamed Abdellahi.
For his part, the head of UNDP's office in Equateur, Abdul Razak Abdul Khader, expressed UNDP commitment to participating in the construction of a civil society that is more professional, more committed to effectively playing the role expected of it. More generally, the two UN officials reiterated the willingness of the United Nations to work with civil society and provincial governments, and to provide support to the DRC development process. The opening ceremony however was chaired by the provincial Minister of Planning, Gertrude Djolia, who commended UNDP and MONUSCO for providing this "training, which will contribute to the development of the province and the country".
Jean-Tobie Okala / MONUSCO