Title
Economic and Social Council Fills Vacancies in 14 Subsidiary Bodies, Adopts Decisions on Themes for 2012 Substantive Season, ECOSOC/6572
Note
The Democratic Republic of the Congo was elected to the UN Commission on Social Development for a four-year term. Here's the State Department latest report on social development in the DRC. "The three most important human rights issues were...sexual- and gender-based violence; the lack of an independent and effective judiciary; and impunity throughout the country for many serious abuses, including unlawful killings, disappearances, torture, rape, and arbitrary arrests and detention. Other major human rights problems included the following: severe and life-threatening conditions in prison and detention facilities; prolonged pretrial detention; arbitrary interference with privacy, family, and home;...abusing, threatening, and obstructing journalists, human rights advocates...widespread official corruption;...recruitment of child soldiers; and use of forced civilian labor. Societal discrimination and abuse...enslavement of Pygmies; trafficking in persons; child labor; and lack of protection of workers' rights were also problems...[I]mpunity for human rights abuses remained a severe problem in the security services. Authorities did not prosecute or punish the great majority of abusers."