Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel et de la Communication

The Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel et de la Communication (CSAC), meaning "Higher Council for Audiovisual and Communication", is the Democratic Republic of the Congo's independent media regulator and an Institution of Support to Democracy established by Article 212 of the Constitution.^[2][3][4] It is mandated to safeguard press freedom, protect all mass-communication media within the bounds of the law, and ensure ethical practice and equitable access to official media by political parties, associations, and citizens.^[2][3][5] The CSAC is headquartered in Gombe, Kinshasa.^[2]

The legal basis of the CSAC is defined by Organic Law No. 11/001 of 10 January 2011, which outlines its composition, powers, and functions. Members of the council are known as Hauts Conseillers, and its president holds a status equivalent to that of a government minister.^[2] In November 2022, Christian Bosembe Lokando was appointed a member of the CSAC by presidential decree, following consultations with President Félix Tshisekedi regarding representation of journalists.^[6][7][8] He was subsequently elected by his peers as the CSAC's president.^[6][9]

The CSAC's authority derives from Article 212 of the Constitution, which defines its missions; Organic Law No. 11/001 of 10 January 2011, which specifies its composition, attributions, and functioning; and ancillary legislation governing press freedom (including the 1996 press-freedom statute) together with public-finance and public-administration rules that frame CSAC budgeting, accounting, and staffing.^[2]

The council is composed of fifteen members appointed in accordance with the procedures set out in the Organic Law. Each member serves a four-year mandate, renewable once. Mandates may end upon expiry or in cases of incapacity, resignation, or legal disqualification.^[2][10] Membership is incompatible with political office, media employment, or any role likely to create conflicts of interest.^[2] Members and staff are likewise barred from holding shares or financial interests in, or benefiting from, activities related to the media, advertising, cinema, telecommunications, or associated licensing.^[2]

Constitutionally, the CSAC's central mission is to guarantee and uphold press freedom and all forms of mass communication within the legal framework. It is also responsible for ensuring ethical standards in information, as well as equitable access by political parties, associations, and citizens to official outlets of information and communication.^[2] Its broader attributions, defined by the Organic Law and elaborated in its Rules of Procedure, involve defining its organizational framework and working procedures; promotes pluralism, impartiality, and fairness in public and private media.^[2]

The council is further empowered to enforce compliance of media output with ethical and legal standards; promote technological development and digital access for Congolese media; and promote professional excellence. It issues technical opinions, grants binding prior authorization for frequency allocation and press licensing, and monitors compliance with broadcasters' cahiers des charges.^[2] Its responsibilities also include promoting peace, democracy, human rights, and development-oriented information; protecting human dignity (particularly for women, youth, and vulnerable groups) in media content; supporting the creation of rural media outlets and professional training programs; issuing binding directives during electoral processes; regulating advertising and opinion polls; and instituting measures to protect children from harmful digital content.^[2] To ensure accountability, the CSAC submits regular and annual reports to the National Assembly and the Senate.^[2]

CSAC is organized around four principal organs:

• Plenary Assembly (Assemblée plénière): the supreme decision-making body, which exercises the highest authority, approving draft budgets, supervising financial and administrative management, and reviewing quarterly financial-execution reports.^[2][11] Ordinary sessions are held twice monthly, with extraordinary sessions convened as circumstances demand. Decisions are adopted collegially, either by consensus or, failing that, by an absolute majority of those present, and they carry binding force.^[2][11] The President, vested with disciplinary authority, maintains order by enforcing time limits, managing debate, and closing discussions when necessary, with sanctions applied to misconduct. If CSAC decisions are not implemented, the Plenary may call upon the public prosecutor to intervene. All participants are bound to professional secrecy and confidentiality, with penal sanctions imposed for violations.^[2][11]
• Bureau: the executive organ, composed of a President, vice-president, Rapporteur, Deputy Rapporteur, and Quaestor, who are elected by the Plenary for the duration of the council's mandate, either through consensus or by secret ballot.^[2][11] The President provides institutional leadership, represents the CSAC, ensures the proper functioning of its organs, enforces compliance with legal and internal regulations, presides over sessions, manages debates and votes, oversees budgetary preparation and execution, safeguards the rights and duties of members and staff, liaises with national and international bodies, and signs or promulgates official Decisions and Acts, while retaining the right to delegate specific powers in writing.^[2][11] The vice-president assists and substitutes for the President, supervises provincial coordinations, and maintains institutional relations with state authorities, professional associations, civil society organizations, and political parties. The Rapporteur directs the Bureau's and Plenary's technical secretariat, prepares minutes and analytical reports, acts as spokesperson, and manages document distribution and archival records.^[2][11] The Deputy Rapporteur assists or substitutes for the Rapporteur, with particular responsibility for communication services, including the dissemination of public information and digital publications.^[2][11] The Quaestor shares authority with the President over budget preparation and execution, co-signs accounting and banking instruments, oversees financial, budgetary, and logistical services, and reports monthly to the Bureau.^[2][11]
• Permanent Commissions: three technical committees that address specialized regulatory issues. The Commission juridique (Legal Commission) is responsible for examining complaints, overseeing the registration of media outlets, and providing regulatory opinions.^[2][11] The Commission technique (Technical Commission) monitors media practices, assures compliance with laws and ethical standards, and regulates advertising and programming. The Commission socio-économique (Socio-Economic Commission) focuses on studies of media, promotion of professional development, and economic sustainability of the sector.^[2][11]
• Provincial Coordinations: decentralized structures that implement CSAC's mandate at the provincial level by reporting regularly to the Bureau in Kinshasa, and may take provisional measures in cases of serious violations of media law or ethics.^[2][11] They also serve as points of contact for local media associations and civil society, facilitating dialogue between regulators, journalists, and political or social actors. Provincial coordinators convene annually in Kinshasa to review activities and evaluate regulatory challenges.^[2][11]

The CSAC relies on three specialized services to support its regulatory work. The Centre de monitoring des médias congolais (CMMC) is responsible for observing, listening to, viewing, and analyzing media content, while also serving as the secretariat of the Technical Commission.^[2][11] The Secrétariat d'instruction (SI) conducts the preliminary review of the regularity and admissibility of complaints, examines monitoring reports, and issues notifications of the council's acts. The Service de normalisation (SN) defines quality standards and establishes common rules for repeated practices within the media sector and serves as the secretariat of the Socio-Economic Commission.^[2][11]

The CSAC operates with institutional and financial autonomy, drawing primarily on allocations from the state budget to cover remuneration, operations, investments, and regulatory activities during electoral periods.^[2][11] Its financial management is subject to national public-finance regulations. The council's patrimony consists of properties inherited from its predecessor institution, the Haute Autorité des Médias (HAM), as well as assets transferred by the state. Its workforce combines personnel carried over from the HAM with civil servants recruited through the national public service.^[2][11]