Rapport alternatif et évaluatif des ONGs sur l’application de la Convention relative aux droits de l’enfant par la République Démocratique du Congo

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is a nominally centralised republic with a population of more than 60 million where over half of the population is under 18 (58,9%). International and national legal mechanisms that promote and protect the rights of children have not been put in place. As a result, a large number of Congolese children live on the streets and are frequently threatened and commercially or sexually exploited. Few of these children receive adequate nutrition or medical and educational services. Many are separated from their families, are imprisoned for months for minor crimes and are often held without trial for prolonged periods of time. It is against this backdrop that the report is presented to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child by a group of 22 Congolese Non-governmental organisations.