The Congolese Non-Governmental Organization “Jurists for the Environment in Congo” (JUREC) is specialized in human rights issues in the management of natural resources and has extensive experience in the defense and promotion of the rights of local communities and indigenous peoples.

JUREC is piloting the implementation of a local complaint mechanism in the Salonga Landscape under two main components: sensitization of Local Communities (LCs) and Indigenous Peoples (IPs) on their rights and obligations in the management of natural resources in the context of conservation in the DRC & the implementation of the Complaints Mechanism (according to the Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) procedures).

JUREC places particular emphasis on the involvement of political, administrative and judicial authorities in the implementation of field activities. To this end, JUREC has produced sensitization tools on the rights of LCs & IPs, on the Complaints Management Mechanism and on the Free, Prior and Informed Consent of LCs & IPs for the implementation of the Complaints Mechanism around the SNP.

In this context, JUREC serves as an interface to meet the expectations between the LCs & IPs and the protected areas management authority (SNP), aiming at creating a climate of peace and trust between the various stakeholders involved in the management of the SNP and to achieve convincing results for nature conservation.

The Complaint Mechanism set up around the SNP by an independent organization is not intended to be a substitute for the Public Prosecutor’s Office, Courts and Tribunals, but rather to allow LCs & IPs to address their complaints in complete security and confidentiality through JUREC.