SP Democratic Republic of Congo - strategic partnership The strategic partnership program focuses on 4 topics in DRC: Inclusive and Engendered Peace, Security and Access to Justice, Health System Reform and Extractives / Tensions build due to the possibility of a third term for Joseph Kabila. The presidential elections were postponed, leading to massive popular discontent. Violence in its eastern and central provinces has triggered the world’s worst displacement crisis. New alliances of armed groups have emerged to take on a demoralized government army. It is a confusing cast of characters instigating rights abuses that are forcing civilians to flee. In this context the possibilities for advocating policy change and implementation are very limited. Still, the program seeks ways to give voice to the needs of people at local level. / The inclusive and engendered peace trajectory works towards the inclusion and participation of women and girls in political, security and judicial decision-making. One strategy is the setting up of a network on women’s inclusion and participation in decision-making processes. / A central focus for advocacy is the revision, popularization and implementation of the National Action Plan 1325, which is supervised by the National Secretariat on UNSCR 1325. / The access to security and justice trajectory focuses on reform of the security and justice services at the local level. The program advocates for the deployment of police forces and the involvement of citizens to manage security issues at the local level with the objective to increase the collaboration and enhancing trust in the police. The new National Policy on Justice, which includes mechanisms for access to justice, is used to advocate for increased access to justice for marginalized groups as well as for the improvement of the judiciary services through the harmonization and formalization of legal aid institutions and the improvement of prison policy. / Targeted lobbying activities within the health trajectory seek to improve both access to and the quality of the health system through lobby for universal health care. In February 2017 a law was passed on health insurance cooperatives, and another bill on compulsory health insurance. However, an effective system for affordable health care services is still a long way off. The program advocates for implementing regulations that specify how health insurance cooperatives should be organized and how the government should support this by adopting adequate measures at the national and provincial levels and raising public awareness about the importance of joining health insurance schemes. / In the extractives trajectory the program advocates for community development and interests of local communities in the revision and implementation of the Mining Code. Emphasis is put on dialogue in national, provincial and local multi-stakeholder platforms to develop strategies that will improve the governance of the extractive sector, which is challenging given the presence of powerful stakeholders in the mining sector. In these platforms the program particularly advocates for formalizing artisanal mining, transparency and local content of mining projects in order to increase local economic opportunities. Congolese women are protected legally (by law) and socially (by culture) and have access to sustainable peace and equitable justice. • Security and Justice are guaranteed and accessible for all. • Good quality healthcare becomes affordable and accessible to the Congolese people, especially for the vulnerable groups. • The social and economic wellbeing of the communities living in mining areas is assured Women, youth and local communities