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Setting DRC Economic
Development Policies Right
A major focal point of the U.S. Government's
policy reform agenda in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
(DRC) is the liberalization of Congo's heavily state-controlled
economy. The USAID mission to the Congo has been the paramount
leader among the donor community in the reform dialogue, relentlessly
pushing for greater openness and transparency in all sectors
of DRC's economy. USAID/DRC lobbied for and obtained host
government support for an open forum discussion on economic
liberalization, privatization, and the creation of public-private
partnerships (PPPs) to rejuvenate Congo's failing economy.
In October of 2000, President Laurent Kabila's administration,
after some highly effective behind-the-scenes encouragement
from the mission, agreed to sponsor the DRC's first real public
dialogue on economic liberalization through a PPP Forum. Over
200 participants from government and nongovernmental organizations
(NGOs) attended. The forum dialogue was frank and transparent,
with the private sector participants and the DRC government
agreeing to a set of economic policy reform recommendations
that would disengage the government production of goods and
services. The results of the forum contributed in very large
part to engaging the World Bank and the IMF in public sector
reform as part of their country programs. It also served to
focus attention to the energy sector, potentially the DRC's
largest source of revenue, and mobilize massive international
support for reforms of this critical sector. This remarkable
policy objective success was achieved with only $US100,000
local currency investment.
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Draft Constitution for the DRC
A network of civil society partners, led by the
Justice and Peace Commission of the Catholic Church in the
DRC, the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES),
and the Law Group (the two USAID financed American NGOs working
with civil society in the DRC), developed a draft constitution.
This document will be a focal point for the Inter-Congolese
Dialogue (ICD) and an important step for reconciliation and
peace in the DRC. The IFES Rapid Response Team worked with
civil society leaders to draft the constitution based on several
previous DRC constitutions and other examples. The Law Group,
working through the Justice and Peace Commission, then held
a workshop with wide civil society representation to reach
consensus and finalize the draft constitution. The U.S. NGOs,
in collaboration with other donors, then financed the printing
of the document for wide distribution. While there is no guarantee
as to what the ICD decides will be the DRC's form of government,
the draft constitution seems to have gained widespread support.
It proposes a semi-presidential republic with a president,
parliament, and prime minister. Even the new transitional
president, Joseph Kabila, has expressed support for it. If
this consensus holds, it will play a major role in assuring
the ICD gets off to a positive start as one potentially extremely
contentious issue is resolved.
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Condom Distribution
The AIDSMARK condom social marketing project
established the goal of selling 16 million condoms over the
three year life-of-project. Condom rationing became necessary
to avoid a total depletion of stocks. The project realized
a stunning success, distributing 20 million condoms by the
end of year two. In fact, AIDSMARK/USAID managed to create
demand for condoms in a cultural environment where sexual
issues are still considered taboo. There were many factors
that facilitated this success, particularly the involvement
of the Ministry of Health and the religious community.
The government took measures that permitted the
sale of condoms not only in pharmacies but also in health
centers, hotels, bars, and stores and through street vendors.
The minister of health is currently very active in support
of condom promotion and has facilitated promotion activities
with all other ministries. He also regularly attends and leads
public ceremonies organized by the AIDSMARK/USAID project.
Religious and cultural barriers and social stigmas
associated with condom purchase did not hinder wholesaler
and retailer willingness to sell condoms or consumer willingness
to buy condoms. Religious leaders do not openly talk about
condoms but neither do they discourage the use of condoms.
This is one of the reasons that the AIDSMARK/USAID project
has access to all groups of the population in need of condoms.
The runaway success of this effort has created
a problem of supply. To maintain the integrity of the program,
condom sales have been effectively rationed. In addition to
limiting distribution, the basic focus of the AIDMARK project
was changed to focus exclusively on high-risk groups. This
revised focus has been expanded geographically beyond Kinshasa
to include the southern industrial city of Lubumbashi and
the eastern city of Bukavu. The successful implementation
of high-risk group targeting is best reflected in Lubumbashi
where exclusively members of the police force and commercial
sex workers conduct condom sales. In Kinshasa commercial sex
workers and their clients have been successfully targeted
in the Matonge section of the city where popular nightlife
businesses are located. Behavior change and condom social
marketing activities are being conducted in the main military
camp. In each of the areas, the new strategy calls for the
mapping and targeting of commercial sex hotels, bars, truck
stops, and other high-risk interaction points.
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