The Republic of Congo’s Ministry of Justice and Human Rights (MJHR) hosted on 17 Feruary 2015 the final Steering Committee of the first phase of PAREDA, the Project for Strengthening the Rule of Law and Associations (PAREDA), led by Human Dynamics. During the SC meeting, Ms Saskia De Lang, Head of the EU Delegation in Congo-Brazaville, gave a positive evaluation to PAREDA's activities.
PAREDA is jointly funded by the EU European Development Fund and the Republic of Congo. Since Dec 2010, over a period of 18 months, the HD-led project has worked to consolidate the rule of law in Congo-Brazaville in compliance with the guidelines of the sectoral policy of justice established by the Congolese authorities. The specific objective is to assist effectively and efficiently the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights in the implementation of the project PAREDA (technical management unit, TMU). The project aims at implementing the achievements of the PAED project to support the rule of law in the Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire and Dolisie courts in order to improve the workings of the courts and quality of legal services, detention conditions and civil society organisations’ capacities, particularly by promoting Legal Access and Good Governance.
PAREDA has pursued the following objectives:
A large part of PAREDA has been about shifting the focus and minset regarding those in prison from detainment to rehabilitation — that is, about reartuculating the prison from a place of punishment to a place of rehabilitation to reduce the likelihood of reoffending. At Human Dynamics we hope that PAREDA's efforts in this respect will have irrevocably improved the lives of all future prisoners who pass through the Republic of Congo’s judicial system, and their families.
It has been a priority for PAREDA to ease access to key information for legal actors, e.g. judges, clerks, lawyers and judicial inspectors. A first step in achieving PAREDA's objectives was to equip the courts of Brazzaville, Pointe-Noire and Dolisie with computers, and to ensure the clerks and inspectors were competently trained in their use. The subsequent digitalisation of cases, law and jurisprudence texts has had an extremely positive impact on the efficiency of processing of the courts. The rapid implementation of this access sped the processing of files and accelerated court proceedings, as well as lead to the identification of dysfunctions (including corruption) in the process and steps to ameliorate these.
PAREDA’s activities extended beyond the courts to improve the living conditions experienced daily by prisoners. The project's activities resulted in:
PAREDA worked with prison staff to develop appropriate training programmes so as to allow the prison population to apply their time in prison to reskilling and preparing to reintegrate into society in a positive way.
While facilities in prisons were adapted to this new perspective, so had to be the attitudes and approach of prison staff. PAREDA supported prison staff in transitioning to their new roles: we provided assistance to restructuring of administration and decentralisation of services and specialist training to officers in adapting security. Officers also learned to handle prisoners in such as way, so as to preserve their dignity and encourage their social reintegration.
At the administrative level, thanks to a grant from PAREDA to the National Order of Advocates, the project provided assistance to the poorest inmates who were held due to an inability to meet bail conditions – resulting in the release on bail of over 100 prisoners, and (albeit modest) reduction of overcrowding in prisons.
PAREDA built the national capacity for human rights. It strengthened the capacity to contribute to good governance and protect human rights not only inside the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights and the National Commission of Human Rights, but also among non-state actors. Capacity building included support to address issues in existing legislation.
Specifically for non-state actors, PAREDA provided targeted funding to the work of several NGOs focused on promoting and protecting the rights of vulnerable groups and promoting their socio-economic integration.
Women - often among the most marginalised grouops in society - were a particular focus. Partnering with the expertise of these NGOs, PAREDA improve the social and economic situation of Congolese women. Now nearly 6000 women (paralegals, widowed, single or citizens moving within organiсations) are now better equipped to defend themselves and denounce violence. The NGO’s programmes also provided training in income-generating activities to facilitate their independence.
Lastly, PAREDA encouraged civil society to engage with elections in Congo-Brazzaville. Awareness raising activities improved the general knowledge of the population on electoral procedures and the involvement of civil society in the electoral process. The Estates General of Justice (EGJ) election was held in 2015 and the EU support was perfectly timed to propose concrete suggestions to improve the Congolese judiciary.
While the Estates General of Justice (EGJ) election to be held in 2015, with EU support, now is the perfect time to propose concrete suggestions for improvement to the Congolese judiciary.
Aslo, in 2015, PAREDA will support two major projects: building of national capacities for human rights and revision of certain legal codes. It will also support the National Commission of the Human Rights in its mandate in the promotion and protection of human rights and it will work to strengthen the capacity of MJHR in these areas.
While the majority of PAREDA’s actions have been concluded, the remaining two months of the project are an opportunity to consolidate the significant results achieved.