2021
Special consultative status with the United Nations (ECOSOC)
In July 2021, the UN Economic and Social Council granted CERC special consultative status.
Impact story · 2021
An independent civil society report on the UN Convention against Corruption
Commissioned by the UNCAC Coalition, CERC assessed how the DRC applies the Convention and made around a hundred recommendations.
The DRC ratified the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) on 23 September 2010, committing to prevent and fight corruption more effectively – and civil society has a role to play in checking that these commitments are kept.
In June 2021, the UNCAC Coalition asked CERC, an active member since 2020, to carry out the civil society parallel review of the DRC’s implementation of the Convention for its second review cycle: Chapter II (preventive measures) and Chapter V (asset recovery). On 14 May 2021, CERC’s Executive Director, Heri Bitamala, had met Me Fidèle Mawete Fakana, the DRC’s representative in the review process, at the Ministry of Justice to discuss civil society’s participation.
Between 11 June and 1 December 2021, CERC met state and non-state actors to assess how the Convention is applied in law and in practice: prevention policies, anti-corruption bodies, public employment, asset declarations, whistleblower protection, political finance, public procurement, public finances, the justice system, access to information and anti-money-laundering measures.
The report highlights the DRC’s efforts, good practice and gaps, and shares around a hundred recommendations with the Congolese government.
More impact stories
2020
Joining the UNCAC Coalition and Catalyst 2030
Two global networks: more than 350 civil society organisations for the UN Convention against Corruption, and a movement of social innovators for the SDGs.
2018–2020
DevelopmentCheck: 55 schools held to account
More than 800 students engaged with school management boards in Uvira and Bukavu, using the DevelopmentCheck app.