Observatoire Congolais de Droits de l'Homme (OCDH)

The Rainforest Foundation UK(RFUK) has worked with OCDH (Observatoire Congolais des Droits de l'Homme) since 2002. OCDH was set up by a core group of journalists, lawyers and other activists in 1994 in response to the human rights abuses in the war in Republic of Congo. It has the following objectives: promotion of human rights, peace, democracy and the rule of law; defence and protection of fundamental human rights and liberties; contributing to the development of laws that conform to international human rights norms, including those conventions that the Republic of Congo has ratified; and challenging the impunity of those who abuse human rights.

OCDH’s key achievements include:
• Working with French NGOs to take the Congolese government to court in France over a group of people who were “disappeared” in Brazzaville. As a result they were awarded the French Human Rights Laureate of 2006.
• Gaining significant improvements in conditions for prisoners and detainees in Congo, including access to legal representation.
• Persuading the Congolese government to announce a moratorium on the death penalty.
• Exposing and obtaining redress for the mistreatment of Baka musicians attending an international music event in Brazzaville in 2007.
• Co-ordinating and progressing the Law for the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Indigenous People (Forest Peoples Law).

OCDH has a dedicated programme for “Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Marginalised Peoples” which addresses the rights of women and the rights of minorities and forest peoples. Other programmes include work against the impunity of human rights violators and provision of assistance to victims of human rights violations and democratic governance.

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