315. Upon the initiative of the Government of Congo, a conference was organized in January, 2008 in Goma (North-Kivu Province of the DRC) on the peace, security and development of the country which was attended by 22 armed groups in the east of the country and led to the signing of the deed of commitment which called for a cease fire, the withdrawal of troops from the important areas of the east and the creation of a buffer zone by and for the United Nations. On 23 March, 2009, a peace accord signed in Goma by the Government of the DRC and the National Congress for Democracy and Progress (CNDP) provided for an end to hostilities and measures for the disarmament, demobilization and social reintegration of ex-combatants. Similarly, on 24 February, 2013, the framework agreement on peace, security and cooperation for the region was signed in Addis-Ababa by the DRC and 11 countries of the region. Upon the initiative of the Government, national consultations held in Kinshasa in 2013 brought all the relevant stakeholders of the nation to the same table to ensure the consolidation of internal cohesion as well as economic and social development. This shows the country’s commitment to the promotion of peace and security as well as the restoration of the authority of the State throughout the country. 316. During the signing of these agreements, women were represented, except that not many of them were there. However, their gender needs were taken into account, in accordance with the spirit of the MAPUTO Protocol and United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325. Table 14 presents the representation of women at peace negotiations. It can be seen in this table that the participation of women in the various agreements did not exceed 15%: it was about 13.6% during the signing of the 2002 Sun City Global and Inclusive Agreement, 1.1% during the 2008 Goma Act of Commitment and 15% during the 2013 Palais du Peuple National Consultations. For some agreements like the “Pact on Security, Stability and Development in the Great Lakes Region” signed in 2006 and the “Peace Pact between the Congolese Government and the Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP)” signed on 23 March, 2009, no female representation was reported. This suggests that women are poorly represented in political governance because the purpose of peace negotiations is not only the cessation of hostilities between warring factions, but has become a real space, and indeed a political framework, for the definition, negotiation and adoption of the terms and priorities of the peace and governance consolidation process with regard to reconciliation, socio-economic reconstruction, institutional reforms and the post-conflict security sector. Here, the country has a long way to go to ensure the equitable representation of women. The adoption and passage of Law No. 15/013 of 1 August, 2015 on the modalities for the application of women’s rights and parity will certainly contribute to the improvement of the representation of women in decision-making bodies. 317. However, over the last two decades, although their level of representation was poor, Congolese women have made a remarkable contribution to the process towards the quest for peace, democratization and the consolidation of national unity. In spite of the numerous obstacles, they are playing an active role in all peace negotiation processes. Furthermore, the increasing number of women’s associations and women leaders operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo and, in certain cases, taking part in meetings for the quest for peace is proof of the actual and potential contribution of women to the country’s pacification and democratization process. The participation of women leaders of the Equateur province in the ENYELE community conflicts can be mentioned here as an example. 318. With regard to the participation of women in the local, national, regional, continental and international decision-making mechanisms for peace, a national committee, provincial and local steering committees and the corresponding secretariats for the monitoring of the implementation of the national plan of action of Resolution 1325 have been established by the minister responsible for gender issues. At the regional level, the DRC is involved in the process for the adoption of the regional plan of action of Resolution 1325 which is made up of three countries (Rwanda, Burundi and DRC) and has led to the establishment of the SubRegional Steering Committee for which it has provided the secretariat. • Involvement of Women in all Aspects of the Planning, Formulation and Implementation of Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Programmes 62