EMPOWERING CIVIL SOCIETY ON PRIVATE SECURITY OVERSIGHT: A CASE STUDY FROM THE DRC

For the launch event of ICoCA and DCAF’s practical guide to support civil society in working effectively in good private security governance, the two organisations convened a panel of Congolese stakeholders to discuss their experience and main findings in articulating solutions for the empowerment of civil society in good private security governance in DRC.

Given the private security sector’s rapid growth and evolution, ensuring effective private security governance is challenging in most places. Civil society can support public institutions in ensuring oversight and accountability of the private security industry.  The practical guide is intended to assist CSOs with this.

The guide was adapted and piloted in the DRC – a country where the private security industry has grown exponentially mainly due to a very complex security situation. For a year, 13 civil society organisations and regulatory authorities based in 10 provinces of the DRC worked on adapting the practical guide to their context while answering these two overarching questions:

• How can civil society effectively contribute to good private security governance in the DRC?
• How can public institutions cooperate with civil society to ensure oversight and accountability of the private security industry in the DRC?

When

May 6, 2021, 1

Languages

The webinar was held in French but English translation was provided and is included in the recording above.

Panelists

• Mme Aimé Kilembe – Protection Civile, ministère de l’Intérieur, DRC
• Mr Eric Kajemba – Observatoire Gouvernance et Paix (OPG), DRC
• Mr Freddy Kasongo, Observatoire d’Etudes et d’Appui à la Responsabilité Sociale et Environnementale (OEARSE), DRC
• M Honoré Katamba – Securitas, RDC

Moderators

• Gabby Priklopilova, Project Officer, DCAF
• Gina Menghini, Project Officer, ICoCA

Find the practical guidance here.

Find the practical guide customised to the DRC here.