During her stay, the Deputy Executive Director/Programme had several audiences. These audiences were opportunities to advocate for population issues and to thank national authorities for their support to UNFPA.
With the President of the National Assembly
The Deputy Executive Director was accompanied at this audience by the Regional Director of UNFPA, the Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator of the United Nations in DRC.
She congratulated the President of the National Assembly, His Excellency Mr. Christophe Mboso Nkodia, and his institution for their pivotal role in the protection of women and girls as well as in the development and promulgation of laws. She acknowledged the progress made in socio-economic policies despite the challenges facing the country. The Deputy Executive Director called for the organization of the second population and housing census to enable the DRC to obtain reliable data for its development planning.
The Resident Coordinator, on his part, emphasized the joint efforts of the various UN agencies within the framework of their contributions to achieving the SDGs in a context of conflict and budgetary constraints.
On his part, the Speaker of the National Assembly expressed his gratitude to the UN family in general and , to UNFPA in particular, for its partnership and strong support over the years. He highlighted the various challenges related to the general population and housing census that the country is facing, including the underestimation of figures that makes planning and resource allocation inadequate.
With the Vice-Minister of Public Health, Hygiene and Prevention
The Vice-Minister of Public Health, Hygiene and Prevention, Veronique Kilumba Nkulu, praised the good collaboration between her ministry and UNFPA. She also highlighted the government's health policies, including free medical care for pregnant women and children under 5 years of age as well as the efforts towards the implementation of universal health coverage.
The Deputy Executive Director expressed her gratitude to the Deputy Minister of Public Health, Hygiene and Prevention for the support provided to UNFPA, which is essential in strengthening access to maternal health services, assistance to survivors of gender-based violence, including sexual exploitation and abuse, and family planning services. She commended the government's effort in family planning. With regard to universal health coverage, she advised the government to ensure a progressive implementation.
With the Minister of Planning
The Deputy Executive Director congratulated the Minister of Planning, Mr. Christian Mwando Nsimba, for the government's efforts in the area of population. She discussed issues related to the achievement of the demographic dividend in the DRC and encouraged the Ministry of Planning to continue to pool efforts to operationalize the organization of the general population and housing census.
The Minister recognized the long-standing partnership between UNFPA and his Ministry in its efforts to advance the implementation of the second general population and housing census in the DRC. He highlighted the various challenges related to the lack of reliable data.
With Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo, Archbishop of Kinshasa
The UN Assistant-Secretary General and Deputy Executive Director of UNFPA accompanied by the UNFPA Regional Director and the UNFPA Resident Representative in the DRC discussed the mandate of UNFPA with Cardinal Fridolin AMBONGO BESUNGU, Archbishop of Kinshasa. Among other things, they discussed the strengthening of the partnership to improve the lives of the Congolese people.
With the Governor of the Haut Katanga Province
The Deputy Executive Director of UNFPA/Programme, accompanied by the Regional Director for East and Southern Africa (ESARO) and the Representative of UNFPA in the DRC, was received in audience by the Governor of the province of Haut Katanga, His Excellency Mr. Jacques Kyabula Katwe. The Deputy Executive Director thanked the Governor for the warm welcome she received from the province and for all the support granted to UNFPA within the framework of her visit as well as the organization of the national forum of traditional and religious leaders to end gender-based violence (GBV).
She also thanked the governor for his support to UNFPA's mandate and to the fight against GBV. The province of Haut Katanga provides significant support to the fight against GBV in the form of commitment to the rehabilitation of a one-stop center for the care of GBV survivors in the provincial hospital of Sendwe. This center will improve the care of survivors in Lubumbashi and its environs.
