Seminar with the Senate

Seminar with the Senate

27-28 September 2004: EISA conceptualised a seminar and programme with the Senate Bureau and its Constitutional Commission. In fact, after our previous seminar in mid-August, which was only attended by Members of the Constitutional Commission of the Senate, we decided to involve the entire Senate as well as the international community, who were showing great interest in constitutional matters and the process.

EISA coordinated the various contributions which involved the following organisations

  • UNDP
  • MONUC
  • European Union
  • USAID
  • IFES
  • Global Rights and
  • Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

Each organisation was invited to bring experts to make presentations about key constitutional issues at the seminar. Delegates from the DRC, France, Mauritius, USA and Belgium attended. A total of over 200 participants representing a variety of institutions were present at the seminar, including

  • The Senate (120)
  • The National Assembly (MPs)
  • NGOs and Church groups, invited as observers
  • Embassies of France, Sweden, South Africa, the European Union, the USA and Russia.

The results of this Seminar, which added momentum to the constitutional process, are debated during two international weekly meetings: the first meeting is held every Thursday at the UNDP/HQ and focuses on the support of the international community to Parliament. The second takes place every Tuesday at the MONUC/HQ and is centred around support for the electoral process.

In addition, the workshop stimulated a national debate about the Constitution through the media (on television, radio and in the newspapers), with contributions by Congolese experts. At the end of the seminar a decision was taken to begin drafting the Constitution at a retreat in Kisangani. For this activity also, the Senate requested EISA's support.