Women represent 54 pct of members of Congo’s Economic, Social and Environmental Council
Brazzaville, Congo (PANA) - Clement Mouamba, Congolese prime minister, said here Monday the economic, social and environmental council (CESE) had become the first government institution to apply gender parity as enshrined in Article 17 of Congo’s constitution, with 41 women out of 75 members or a 54 percent representation.
He told the opening session of a meeting of the consultative organ: “CESE is therefore a privileged area to elaborate the consensus needed for the harmonious and peaceful functioning of democracy and this, with regard to the principles of participation and representation which contributed to its more inclusive composition.”
“The economic, social and environmental council is the matrix of our participative democracy and the foundation for economic and republican social dialogue. Its motivated analysis and opinions should be an inspiration mine for all those responsible for improving the daily life of populations,” said Mouamba.
The CESE comprises representatives of employers’ organisations, agricultural cooperatives, liberal professions, salaried workers of all economic, and social sectors.
As a consultative assembly to the government, it is led by the president of the republic, the president of the senate and the speaker of parliament for any economic, social and environmental concern.
The CESE, a constitutional consultative and representative institution through its missions and composition, according to the council, is expected to play a key role in assessing and evaluating all public policies in economic, social and environmental issues with the ultimate goal to “usefully” advise the government.
According to the CESE chairwoman, Emilienne Raoul, “the success of our mandate will depend on each of us, and for each, of its actions. For us, the success of our mandate is first of all a demand”.
“It is women who, thanks to their competences, experience, will be able to take fairer analysis in the country’s public policies. We hope other institutions will follow the example,” said Raoul.
This consultative organ, within the framework of the institutional reforms engaged by the president of the Republic, recorded several innovations in both its competences and attributions and its functioning and composition.
The first innovation concerns the extension of its areas of competence to environment.
“Dealing with environment is not a buzzword but a true global concern that cannot leave Congo indifferent. In our country, the fight against global warming speaks of itself,” said the head of the Congolese government.
Among the number of reforms are the reorganization of the previous board from five to four members, and the public holding of plenary sessions to give more credibility to the action of the institution and make it more transparent than in the past.
The objective of CESE suggests a policy of reason and involves a whole programme, said Raoul.
“Actually, with regard to the challenges our country has to take up, our thought on the means to promote and consolidate development appears very opportune,” she said.
Until 19 December, the 75 members of the CESE will examine and adopt the Rule of Procedure, as well as the establishment of four permanent commissions, namely the economic affairs commission, social affairs, educative, cultural and religious affairs and the environmental affairs commission.
-0- PANA MB/BEH/MSA/RA 16Dec2019
