Since 1996, the challenging environment of Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has posed relentless threats from active foreign and local armed groups to the Congolese state, particularly in the Eastern part of the DRC, with persistent land and ethnic conflicts and inter-communal tensions exacerbated by the movement of populations. In response to this crisis, MONUC was first established through Security Council Resolution (SCR) 1279 on 30 November 1999.

Since the Mission’s inception, Civil Affairs, formerly Humanitarian Affairs, has played a critical role in implementing innovative solutions ranging from opening humanitarian access to increasing humanitarian assistance, protecting those most vulnerable to violence and poverty, preventing and solving local conflicts, extending the reach of the Congolese state and promoting dialogue amongst civil society organisations (CSOs), national and provincial governments.

As the situation in DRC has become more stabile, MONUC transformed into the UN Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) through SCR 1925 on 1 July 2010. On 28 June 2011, the current mandate was passed under Resolution 1991 to advance peace and security through protection of civilians, stabilizing conflict affected areas, improving human rights, including support to justice and the security sector, as well as strengthening democratic institutions and support to peace consolidation.