Calls on the Government of the DRC and its national partners, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI), to ensure a transparent and credible electoral process, in fulfilment of their primary responsibility to create propitious conditions for the forthcoming elections, as per the 31 December 2016 agreement, including full participation of women at all stages;
Urges the Government as well as all relevant parties to ensure an environment conducive to a free, fair, credible, inclusive, transparent, peaceful and timely electoral process, in accordance with the Congolese Constitution, which includes free and constructive political debate, freedom of opinion and expression, including for the press, freedom of assembly, equitable access to media including State media, the security of all political actors, freedom of movement for all candidates, as well as for election observers and witnesses, journalists, human rights defenders and actors from civil society including women;
Requests MONUSCO to take fully into account gender considerations as a crosscutting issue throughout its mandate and to assist the Government of the DRC in ensuring the participation, involvement and representation of women at all levels, including in the creation of conditions conducive to the holding of elections, protection of civilians and support to stabilisation efforts through, inter alia, the provision of gender advisers, and further requests enhanced reporting by MONUSCO to the Council on this issue;
Acknowledges the crucial role of United Nations Women Protection Advisers deployed in MONUSCO in supporting the Government of the DRC to implement its commitments on addressing sexual violence in conflict and calls on MONUSCO to ensure they continue to work closely with the Government of the DRC at both strategic and operational levels;
Progress made by the DRC on the implementation of the 31 December 2016 agreement and the electoral process, including on the provisions of paragraphs 1 to 6 above, as well as on the ways in which MONUSCO will be best prepared to address security risks and to monitor and report on human rights violations and abuses in the context of the elections, including in terms of deployment of the Force in areas identified as potential zones of instability and configuration of civilian an d police component of MONUSCO, sexual violence and the impact of conflict on women and children, and any gender considerations made;