its Constitution, the International Covenant on Civil 
and Political Rights ratified on November 1, 1976, 
and the December 2016 Saint Sylvestre agreement 
brokered by the Congolese Conference of Catholic 
Bishops, by— 
(A) immediately lifting restrictions on the 
freedoms of assembly, expression, and associa-
tion; 
(B) releasing all political prisoners, includ-
ing those detained for peacefully exercising 
their rights; 
(C) ensuring that state security forces pro-
tect the rights of peaceful demonstrators; 
(D) bringing to justice security force per-
sonnel accused of serious abuses against citi-
zens, including against protesters or opposition 
supporters; and 
(E) allowing private media outlets to oper-
ate freely; 
(6) the United States should continue to sup-
port efforts to hold free, fair, and democratic elec-
tions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in-
cluding by supporting the completion of an inclusive, 
transparent voter registration process and civic edu-
cation, preventing or mitigating violence, and facili-
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tating credible election observation by the African 
Union, the Southern African Development Commu-
nity, and other appropriate civil society entities. 
(b) SENSE OF CONGRESS ON HUMANITARIAN ASSIST-
ANCE FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC 
OF THE CONGO.—It is the sense of Congress that the Sec-
retary of State, in coordination with the Administrator of 
the United States Agency for International Development, 
should continue to provide humanitarian and development 
assistance to the people of the Democratic Republic of the 
Congo through credible and independent nongovernmental 
organizations, including local partners, human rights or-
ganizations, women-led organizations, and faith-based or 
non-faith-based organizations. In providing such assist-
ance, the Secretary and Administrator should prioritize— 
(1) promoting partnerships with organizations 
that have had a long-term presence in the country 
and have achieved measurable impact, including by 
building the capacity of local partners, human rights 
organizations, women-led organizations, or faith- 
based or non-faith-based organizations to address 
local needs; 
(A) placing the country on a trajectory to-
ward ending the need for foreign assistance; 
and 
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(2) evaluating the comparative merits of grants, 
cooperative agreements, contracts, and other meth-
ods for providing foreign assistance. 
(c) SENSE OF CONGRESS ON SUPPORT FOR DEMO-
CRATIC GOVERNANCE AND CONFLICT MITIGATION MECH-
ANISMS
IN
THE
DEMOCRATIC
REPUBLIC
OF
THE 
CONGO.—It is the sense of Congress that the Secretary 
of State and the Administrator of the United States Agen-
cy for International Development should— 
(1) continue to— 
(A) support long-term peace and stability 
in the Democratic Republic of the Congo by 
strengthening democratic institutions and pro-
moting respect for the rule of law at the na-
tional, provincial, and local levels; 
(B) support the capacity of civil society ac-
tors to promote transparency, accountability, 
freedom of expression, and anti-corruption ef-
forts; 
(C) support conflict prevention and mitiga-
tion activities where appropriate, particularly in 
the Kasai region of the Tanganyika Province, 
the North and South Kivu Provinces, and the 
Ituri Province; and 
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(D) work to address the root causes of 
chronic violence and fragility, with a focus on 
youth empowerment, education, and the pro-
motion of justice and accountability mecha-
nisms; and 
(2) seek to work directly with and through 
credible, independent, nongovernmental organiza-
tions, including local partners, human rights organi-
zations, women-led organizations, and faith-based or 
non-faith-based organizations, to— 
(A) defend internationally recognized dem-
ocratic rights; 
(B) support freedom of expression, includ-
ing through media broadcasting; 
(C) combat public corruption; and 
(D) improve the transparency and account-
ability of governing institutions in the Demo-
cratic Republic of the Congo. 
SEC. 3. SUPPORT FOR EFFORTS AT THE UNITED NATIONS 
ON THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE 
CONGO. 
The President should instruct the Permanent Rep-
resentative of the United States to the United Nations to 
use the voice, vote, and influence of the United States at 
the United Nations to— 
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(1) emphasize the importance of implementing 
the December 2016 Saint Sylvestre agreement to the 
Government of the Democratic Republic of the 
Congo, including the need to lift restrictions on the 
freedoms of assembly, expression, and association, 
and the need to conduct free, fair, and democratic 
elections; 
(2) keep the humanitarian and political crisis in 
the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the regular 
agenda of the United Nations Security Council until 
the completion of a peaceful transfer of power 
through free, fair, and democratic elections; 
(3) ensure that the United Nations Organiza-
tion Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Repub-
lic of the Congo has an appropriately focused man-
date tailored to security and governance conditions 
on the ground with a particular focus on civilian 
protection, and that the mission has sufficient 
means, including specialized personnel and effective 
leadership, to execute its mandate; and 
(4) improve Member states’ implementation of 
United Nations Security Council-imposed sanctions 
on individuals and entities violating the United Na-
tions arms embargo, threatening the peace and secu-
rity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, engag-
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