On behalf of the UK Government, UNOPS managed the construction of a 128 km road linking isolated communities to essential services. Photo: UNOPS/Samuel Nazili

UNOPS helps its partners deliver peacebuilding, humanitarian and development operations in DR Congo, from its head office in Kinshasa, as well as project offices and field units throughout the country.

Sustainable infrastructure

Restoring roads is an essential step for security, rural development and food security projects. Over the past 13 years, UNOPS has supported the construction and rehabilitation of more than 6,000 kilometres of roads and more than 500 bridges. These works created about 7 million days of paid work for local people.

To mitigate the risks associated with road works, UNOPS carries out social and environmental impact studies and develops social and environmental management plans as a component of project delivery.

Current road projects cover seven provinces and include the maintenance of the Kisangani-Walikale road and 450 kilometres of roads linking three eastern provinces, the reopening of 2,500 kilometres of feeder roads in Equator Province, and the rehabilitation of the Bukavu-Shabunda road, which UNOPS reopened in 2011 after it was inaccessible for 20 years.

UNOPS activities in infrastructure also include constructing and rehabilitating water supply systems, electricity distribution networks, schools, rural markets, United Nations buildings, health centres, and hospitals. Over the past three years, 126 buildings have been constructed or renovated with UNOPS support in all 11 provinces of the country, often in very remote areas.

The reopening and maintenance of major roads in eastern DR Congo is providing access for security forces and humanitarian organizations. Photo: UNOPS/Jacques Challulaux

Stabilization

Under the national stabilization plan for eastern DR Congo, supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and a range of governments, UNOPS is carrying out infrastructure projects in highly isolated areas. More than 580 kilometres of roads in the eastern provinces are currently being reopened, rehabilitated or maintained to reduce the isolation and the vulnerability of the local population, and allow for the deployment of security forces and humanitarian organizations.

Along these six strategic roads, UNOPS has managed the construction of 47 new buildings, including police stations, a police training centre, courts, prisons, and office buildings, which now enable access to state services. In addition, UNOPS supports the selection process, training and deployment of the Congolese National Police.

Building capacity

UNOPS works closely with the Government and state employees at all levels, sharing project implementation experience, technical knowledge and procurement expertise. This ensures increased sustainability for the projects we support and builds capacity for future development.

A number of the projects UNOPS supports have direct training components, for example in road maintenance. In addition, we support the local construction industry by providing training in international procurement rules, splitting bids into smaller packages to encourage small firms to tender, training local technical staff, and offering onsite technical support.

We also organize awareness campaigns for local communities benefiting from our projects and set up community committees for rural infrastructure management and maintenance.

Water and sanitation infrastructure

Many of the inhabitants of the three provincial capitals of Goma, Bukavu, and Kindu are enjoying marked improvements in their living conditions, thanks to the restoration and extension of systems for safe drinking water. UNOPS implemented the project on behalf of the Congolese Government, with funding from the World Bank.

Energy infrastructure

Inhabitants of Goma, Bukavu, and Uvira, as well as provinces in Rwanda and Burundi, are benefiting from the improvement of the supply of electricity produced by the Ruzizi 1 dam. This is due to hydroelectric restoration works implemented by UNOPS on behalf of the Congolese Government, with funding from the World Bank.

Susrtainable procurement and project management 

Disaster risk management

Since Mount Nyiragongo last erupted in 2002, the population of Goma, a city located 18 kilometres from the volcano, has increased from 400,000 to one million. The volcano, known for its highly active lava lake, is monitored by the Goma Volcano Observatory (OVG). UNOPS has provided scientific and institutional support to the OVG since 2003, set up a contingency plan to benefit the local population and implemented prevention campaigns with funding from the European Union and Switzerland.

Environmental reform

With funding from UNDP and the Global Environment Facility, UNOPS has helped update existing conservation legislation, reforming the Institut Congolais de Conservation de la Nature (ICCN) and supporting the community management of protected areas. Between 2005 and 2009, the project surveyed key protected areas and reinforced ICCN’s operational capacity by procuring specialized communications and transportation equipment for 16 national parks.

Supporting the EU electoral observation mission

In 2011, UNOPS supported the EU Election Observation Mission in DR Congo during the presidential and legislative elections. UNOPS provided services such as transportation, communication, accommodation, security, procurement, and administrative support, as well as, human resources services. These services helped ensure the quick deployment of 147 short and long-term electoral observers throughout DR Congo.

In 2006, UNOPS deployed 2,250 international electoral observers for the first and second rounds of the nationwide elections, with funding from the Canadian International Development Agency through UNDP, and with the support of the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

On behalf of UNHCR, UNOPS developed a data center to provide reliable statistics and analysis on IDPs in North Kivu camps. Photo: UNOPS/Dorothée Clette

Humanitarian response

UNOPS has helped the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) provide reliable statistics and analysis on 207,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. UNHCR funded the establishment of a data centre in Goma, North Kivu Province, to help the humanitarian community provide appropriate assistance and protection for IDPs. UNOPS is managing the project, which employs local staff to gather information by working among the IDP population.

Mine Action

The DRC Mine Action Coordination Centre (UNMACC-DRC) coordinates all humanitarian mine action activities in DR Congo, in close collaboration with national authorities. Since 2011, more than 6,000 kilometres of roads have been assessed and more than 1 million square meters of land have been cleared. In addition, more than 41,000 explosive remnants of war, 84 anti-personnel mines, 52 anti-tank mines and 640,000 assorted pieces of ammunition have been destroyed. Since 2002, UNOPS has been responsible for the administrative and human resources management of UNMACC-DRC, on behalf of the United Nations Mine Action Service.