Council: United Nations Human Rights Council

Issue: Violation of Inmate Rights: Safeguarding Human Dignity and Justice in

Prison Systems
Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Delegate: Abhinav Vinu

The Democratic Republic of the Congo recognizes inmate rights as a fundamental right,
and it is constitutionally guaranteed. The DRC has implemented several measures
suggested by the UNHRC to improve the conditions of inmates in prisons.
Considering the current situation of intense conflicts, especially in the eastern regions of
the country, the number of pretrial detainees has increased in large numbers and the
prisons are overcrowded. Lack of resources is one of the major problems that the DRC
faces. The DRC is also aware of the serious human rights violation that occurred in the
prisons, such as the mass rape in Kasapa Central Prison in Lubumbashi.
Even under great stress the DRC has managed to implement several recommendations
as well as programmes to improve the conditions of inmates in the prisons. The national
discourse known as Etats généraux de la justice was launched in 2015 by the Ministry
of Justice and Human Rights of the Democratic Republic of Congo with Judicial High
Council aimed to identify the weaknesses of the judicial system and establish a
roadmap to strengthen justice and develop a national reform.
The report of the UN High Commissioner of Human Rights stated that the overall
number of human rights violations and abuses decreases by 3 percent compared to the
preceding report.
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is taking much action as possible with the
limited resources in addressing the issue. The DRC calls upon the international
community to support the efforts of the DRC to improve the prison conditions and
uphold the rights of inmates. The DRC is committed to providing medical, financial and
mental support to the survivors of abuse and impartially investigating incidents to
prosecute those responsible for the abuses. The DRC believes that with international
support, significant steps can be taken to improve the prison conditions in the country.