A Quest for Stability: An Appraisal of the United Nations’ Efforts to Enhance Human Security in the Democratic Republic Congo

This article analyzed the United Nations’ (UN) approach to ensuring human security among its members, with a focus on the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It explored the various strategies that the UN has utilized to promote human security in the region, such as deploying peacekeeping operations, providing humanitarian assistance, engaging in conflict resolution and prevention, and pursuing international criminal justice efforts. The article also examined the challenges encountered by the UN in addressing the complex and prolonged conflict in the DRC and identifies some of the key successes and limitations of the UN’s approach. The study underpinned by the theory of Human Security. The theory was developed by Mahbub ul Haq. Mahbub ul Haq introduced this idea in the 1994 in the Human Development Report published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The paper adopted a descriptive research design where human security matters are described the way they are articulated in the theatre of operations in DRC. Data was collected from secondary sources which were published journals and materials. The article contends that while the UN has been critical in defending people, promoting human rights, and preventing the escalation of violence in the DRC, more needs to be done to address the underlying causes of the conflict and promote sustainable peace and development in the region. To enhance the UN’s efforts in ensuring human security in the DRC, the article proposes several recommendations, including promoting greater international cooperation, addressing the illicit trade in natural resources fueling the conflict, investing in the social and economic development of the country, and addressing the grievances of marginalized and vulnerable communities. The article concludes by advocating for continued international support and cooperation for the UN’s endeavours to ensure human security among member states in the DRC conflict and beyond. The research design employed in this study is a descriptive design, relying on secondary data sources obtained through a desktop review of relevant literature.