Children’s rights in Congo: a marathon, not a sprint
"I am proud to say that, through our engagement with the UPR and the Committee on the Rights of the Child, we have undertaken several advocacy initiatives that have strengthened our recognition and legitimacy in promoting and protecting children’s rights." Joseph Bikie Likibi
For Joseph Bikie Likibi, National Coordinator of the Réseau des intervenants sur le phénomène des enfants en rupture (REIPER), advocating for children’s rights is rooted in lived experience. Growing up in the Republic of the Congo, he witnessed many children and young people being left to fend for themselves, deprived of fundamental rights, protection and opportunities.
His first steps were through community-based work: supporting children, accompanying young people and working in disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Over time, however, Joseph came to understand that individual support was not enough. “It was not enough to help one child at a time,” he explains. “We also needed to address support mechanisms, public policies and legal frameworks.”
Today, his work focuses on defending the rights of the most vulnerable children, particularly children in street situations, children deprived of their liberty, children who are victims of violence, children excluded from school or not registered at birth, as well as those who lack adequate access to health services.
From child protection to advocacy through the UPR
Through REIPER, Joseph works to ensure that children who are often excluded from public policy discussions are heard and protected. This work is closely connected to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), which provides civil society organisations with a space to bring national realities, information and recommendations to the attention of both national authorities and the international community.
During its fourth UPR cycle in January 2024, the Republic of the Congo received 18 supported recommendations specifically calling for stronger measures to protect children in vulnerable situations, including children affected by discrimination, trafficking and other forms of exploitation or violence. Beyond these recommendations, the review also addressed other issues related to children’s rights, including social services, education and child marriage.
For Joseph and REIPER, these recommendations provide important entry points for advocacy and follow-up at the national level, linking international commitments with concrete child protection measures.
One achievement Joseph highlights is his participation in the preparation and validation of Law No. 04-2010 on child protection, the Republic of the Congo’s national legal framework for children’s rights. Fifteen years after its adoption, the Government signed two ministerial orders in 2025 that are essential to its implementation. The first establishes the Observatoire de l’enfance en danger (Observatory for Children at Risk), responsible for monitoring, analysing and preventing abuse while strengthening the protection of children who are victims of violence. The second establishes an early warning system for children at risk, designed to identify, report and prevent situations of abuse more effectively.
For Joseph, this development is important because legal protection only becomes meaningful when it is translated into practice. The adoption of these measures reflects years of advocacy by REIPER and its partners and marks an important step towards more effective child protection in the Republic of the Congo.
Connecting through UPR Info
Joseph’s engagement with the UPR has also been supported by his participation in UPR Info’s Pre-sessions. For him and REIPER, these spaces have helped connect the realities experienced by children in the Republic of the Congo with opportunities for international advocacy. Alongside the preparation of alternative reports and advocacy conducted at the national level, the Pre-sessions have provided a way to bring children’s rights concerns closer to recommending States and strengthen follow-up after the review.
Joseph also highlights the usefulness of UPR Info’s database, which makes it possible to search for recommendations made by States during the review and use them in advocacy. For organisations such as REIPER, access to this information is essential for preparing reports, identifying priorities and following up on recommendations at the national level.
Building dialogue for children’s rights
Engagement with the UPR, as well as with the Committee on the Rights of the Child, has strengthened REIPER’s recognition as an actor in the promotion and protection of children’s rights. Today, REIPER is regularly invited to national consultations on child protection and has formalised its cooperation with public authorities, including through a partnership agreement with the ministry responsible for social affairs.
One of the main lessons Joseph draws from his engagement with the UPR is that progress on human rights depends on collaboration. For him, the UPR demonstrates that protecting rights requires sustained engagement among governments, civil society, national institutions and the United Nations system.
This approach also shapes REIPER’s day-to-day work. The organisation collaborates with ministries, the national human rights commission and other stakeholders to improve access to rights, strengthen protection and combat discrimination.
“Every meeting creates a new synergy,” Joseph explains. “And every opportunity for representation creates a chance to strengthen collaboration for the promotion of rights, access to rights and the rejection of all forms of discrimination.”
A marathon, not a sprint
Looking ahead, Joseph wants to continue his work to protect children and adolescents in the Republic of the Congo from the multiple forms of violence they face, including physical, sexual, economic and online violence. This includes children in street situations and children in conflict with the law, who often face stigma, exclusion and inadequate protection.
For Joseph, the UPR is more than a United Nations review. It is a process that encourages States to improve their human rights record through dialogue and recommendations. It is also a tool that civil society can use to keep children’s rights on the agenda, strengthen cooperation with public authorities and promote concrete change.
Protecting children’s rights requires time, trust and sustained advocacy. It means working with communities, institutions and international mechanisms while keeping children’s realities at the centre.
For Joseph and REIPER, “it is not a sprint, but a marathon”: ensuring that every child, particularly the most vulnerable, can live in dignity, benefit from effective protection and enjoy their rights.