DRC Foreign Affairs Minister Antipas Mbusa Nyamwisi and Ross Mountain, the Resident Representative of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), signed a new governance programme for the DRC in Kinshasa on Thursday February 14, 2008. The signature signifies the effective start of the vast programme, primarily aimed at promoting a system of stable and legitimate governance which favours durable human development. 
The ceremony took place at the DRC Ministry for Foreign Affairs, in the presence of DRC state officials, United Kingdom Ambassador to the DRC Nick Kay, and the UNDP country director, Mr. Adama Guindo.
"This programme is crucial and really meets the needs of the government and its concern with improving the national governance of the public affairs of the country. Without this programme, it would have been difficult to set up the DRC Poverty Reduction Strategy Document (DSCRP)," said Minister Mbusa Nyamwisi.
The Minister added that he was pleased with the exemplary co-operation with the United Naitons and the partners for DRC's development.
The principal components of this governance programme - political, administrative, economic, local, legal and security - were worked out on the basis of consultation and broad dialogue with the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the parliament, civil society organisations, and international financial and technical partners.
Mr Mountain said that 'the programme is an answer to the major challenges that the DRC faces, and it also fits into the DSCRP.'
"It thus aims at assisting in the development of solid foundations for the emergence of a strong state capable of the consolidation of national unity and reconciliation; to ensure the security of people and property; to increase accessibility and citizen participation in the political system; to improve the performances of the administration and the public institutions; to increase the accessibility and the quality of public services, and to ensure transparency and accountability in public management," he specified.
The governance programme for the DRC for 2008 -2012 is built around five strategic governance components; political; administrative; economic; local; and justice/security.
UK ambassador Nick Kay said that the 'United Kingdom is happy to be able to continue its support for good governance in the Democratic Republic of Congo.'
"We hope for the approval of an allowance of funds of more than US$100 million to support this programme. We congratulate the government and the UNDP, who have worked out such an important programme for the future of the Democratic Republic of Congo," he added.
The political governance branch will be able to guarantee support to institutions such as the parliament and provincial assemblies, as well as political parties, the media, and civil society organisations. It also aims at ensuring the reinforcement of electoral system processes.
The administrative governance component will support the interdepartmental coordination, public administration reform, the census of civil servants, the rationalization of structures, of employment and manpower, the reinforcement of the provincial and territorial public offices, and the development of human resources, in particular issues of gender equality.
For the economic governance component, support will be centered around the planning and management of development, of the development of budgets and national accounts, the management of public resources, the reinforcement of the National Statistical System and the coordination and management of external aid.
As for the local governance component, the support will be centered on the decentralization process and the coordination of work on the installation of the legal and institutional framework of the Decentralised Territorial Entities (ETD).
It will be also harnessed to support provincial and local development through the installation of a management system for public resources and the infrastructures of local public services.
Lastly, the legal and security governance component will consider the reform of the justice system, the reinforcement of the capacities of the security forces, the fight against corruption in public administration, and the reinforcement of internal and external audit institutions.
In addition to the resources of the UNDP and DFID, the governance programme profits from the donations of other financial backers for its various components, such as the Support Project to the Electoral Cycle 2007-2011 (PACE) and the Support Programme for Decentralisation and Local development (PADDL).
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