UN Authority Figures

UN Commission on Science and Technology for Development: Democratic Republic of the Congo

Decades after independence from Belgium, the Democratic Republic of the Congo remains mired in violence, poverty, plunder and despair. Civil wars since 1996 have resulted in some six million deaths and destroyed the country's decades-old economic infrastructure and industrial base.
Source: Time, January 22, 2016

Mission of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development:
"Since 2006, the Commission has been mandated by ECOSOC to serve as the focal point in the system-wide follow-up to the outcomes of the World Summit on the information Society (WSIS) and advise the Council... The Commission acts as a forum for: the examination of science and technology questions and their implications for development; the advancement of understanding on science and technology policies, particularly in respect of developing countries and; the formulation of recommendations and guidelines on science and technology matters within the United Nations system." (Commission on Science and Technology for Development website, "Mandate and Institutional Background")

Democratic Republic of the Congo's Term of office: 2017-2020

Democratic Republic of the Congo's Record on technology and development:
"The law provides criminal penalties for corruption by officials, but the government did not implement the law effectively, and officials frequently engaged in corrupt practices with impunity. Corruption: Corruption remained endemic throughout the government and the SSF [state security forces]. Bribery was routine in public and private business transactions, especially in the areas of government procurement, dispute settlement, administration of justice, mining, land ownership, and taxation. Weak financial controls and a poorly functioning judicial system encouraged officials to engage in corruption with impunity... The law does not provide for public access to government-held information. The government did not grant access to either citizens or noncitizens, including foreign media. Illicit Trade in Natural Resources: Reports ... indicated the mining sector continued to lose millions of dollars because of corruption by officials at all levels."
(U.S. State Department's Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2014, Democratic Republic of the Congo)

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