Press Release Archives - Centre de Recherche sur l'Anti-Corruption

CERC and DRC Parliamentarians Join Forces to Strengthen Anti-Corruption and Integrity Education in DRC

2 October 2023

Kinshasa, February 2022.

In a significant step towards fortifying the fight against corruption in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Centre de Recherche sur l’Anti-Corruption (CERC) marked a historic milestone in 2022. CERC signed a memorandum of understanding with the African Parliamentarians Against Corruption network, outlining an ambitious agenda to reform the education sector in the country.

This landmark agreement is set to play a pivotal role in reshaping the educational landscape of the DRC, as it aims to develop two crucial draft laws. These laws are instrumental in the integration of Integrity Clubs and integrity education within the nation’s educational framework.

The integration of Integrity Clubs represents a proactive approach towards instilling values of accountability, transparency, and ethics in the young minds of the DRC. In 2022, CERC took a monumental step forward by establishing 150 Integrity Clubs across South Kivu and Kinshasa. These clubs provided 2250 school children, aged between 14 and 19, with invaluable skills and resources to monitor and advocate for improved education services and infrastructure in their respective schools.

Furthermore, CERC’s initiatives extend beyond students, encompassing the very educators and administrators shaping the future of the DRC. Through meticulous training programs, CERC empowered 278 teachers and 138 principals from 150 secondary schools in South Kivu and Kinshasa. This training equipped them with the necessary knowledge and resources to combat inefficiencies and corruption in education services.

Through active engagement with Members of Parliament, CERC effectively influenced policymaking at a legislative level. This collaborative effort guarantees that integrity education is not only included in the curriculum but also reinforced by the legal framework. This significant milestone lays the foundation for a systematic and standardized approach to instilling values of integrity within educational institutions throughout the Democratic Republic of Congo.

UN grants CERC the ECOSOC special consultative status

16 August 2021

eased to announce that we have been granted Special Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), the UN’s central platform for reflection, debate, and innovative thinking on sustainable development.

Strengthening CERC’s capacity on the review mechanism of UNCAC implementation

6 August 2021

From 5 to 6 August 2021, a second training to build the capacity of the Anti-Corruption Research Centre (CERC) programme staff on the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and its review mechanism took place in Kinshasa.

12 senior education officials met with CERC to discuss accountability issues in the education sector.

28 July 2021

second consultative workshop with 12 senior officials of the Ministry of Primary, Secondary and Technical Education to discuss the challenges of transparency and accountability in the education sector.

A consultative workshop with non-state actors to discuss the transparency and accountability challenges

26 July 2021

CERC held a consultative workshop on 26 July 2021 with state and non-state actors, including parents’ organizations, teachers’ unions and schools’ management bodies to discuss transparency and accountability issues in education sector.

CERC met with the Ministry of Justice officials to discuss CSOs participation in the UNCAC implementation and review process

17 May 2021

The Executive Director of the Anti-Corruption Research Centre, Mr. Heri Bitamala, and his Executive Assistant in charge of Advocacy and Policy Engagement, Mr. Musa Nzamu Jonathan met with the Ministry of Justice officials, on Friday 14 May 2021, to discuss UNCAC implementation and Civil Society participation in the review process in the DR Congo.