Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo emerged in the late 1990s from 30 years of brutal dictatorship only to fall into a humanitarian crisis and years of civil war. The 2006 presidential and legislative elections marked the first real chance for peace and democracy since independence in 1960.

Leaders invited The Carter Center to observe the elections, and our impartial and independent assessment helped identify serious shortcomings and maintain a tenuous peace.

Our observation teams returned to monitor parts or all of the electoral processes in 2011, 2018, and 2023, each time recommending substantive institutional, legal, and policy reforms that would help create a more transparent, equitable, and democratic process.

More information about all of these elections is available in our reports section.

Since 2010, we’ve worked with the nonpartisan Catholic Church’s Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace (CENCO/CEJP) to strengthen their capacity to promote democratic elections by independently conducting meaningful observation of electoral processes.

Carter Center staff have helped strengthen the organization’s ability to respond quickly and effectively to key issues and aspects of the electoral process that are vulnerable to manipulation, to gather data specifically related to those areas, and to develop recommendations to address those issues and minimize their impact on the electoral process.

Ongoing conflicts, a lack of accountability, and disregard for human rights have contributed to a history of violence toward some of DRC’s most vulnerable populations. Inequality abounds. Congolese nonprofits and human rights activists are working on the front lines to demand reforms.

Our Work and Methods

• Since 2007, the Carter Center’s Human Rights House has partnered with Congolese activists to create lasting changes by promoting collaborative action and establishing networks of like-minded organizations; providing technical and organizational trainings; and connecting them with needed resources.

Impacts

• Through these partners, the Center supports efforts aimed at protecting human rights defenders, advancing women’s rights, and promoting the positive engagement of youth in public life.

DRC contains vast deposits of minerals, metals, and gems. But poor administration and regulation of the DRC’s extractive sector have allowed revenues to be channeled away from investment in the country’s development and left local communities to suffer the negative environmental, health, and other human rights impacts of these operations.

Our Work and Methods

• The Center’s Extractive Industries Governance project advances social and economic justice by supporting community and national nonprofit partners so that they can better monitor, report, and advocate for reform to enhance transparency, accountability, and respect for human rights.

Impacts

We’ve uncovered and shown a spotlight on environmental problems such as air, water, and soil pollution; health problems such as chemical burns and breathing conditions; and social and economic problems such as land seizures and loss of livelihoods.

The DRC enacted a new mining code that incorporated key recommendations from us and our partners.

Working with our partners, we’ve identified millions of dollars in lost revenue for the DRC treasury and secured millions in community investments from mining companies.

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