The Political Affairs Division (PAD) provides expertise to the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) and other senior Mission officials on strategic priorities, including good offices and support to peace processes, and offers political advice and strategic guidance in line with MONUSCO's mandate. PAD monitors, assesses  and analyses political developments in the DRC and the region and their implications for the Mission.

PAD also supports the SRSG in the implementation of her/his good offices mandate, works with national and international partners to promote democracy, rule of law and security sector reform (SSR); develops early warning system, particularly in the pre- and post-election periods; and regularly produces pre-emptive analysis documents on the political, institutional and security situation in the country, including reports, diplomatic cables, briefing notes and thematic notes, as well as various other reports on the political and socio-economic situation.

MONUSCO's PAD is headed by a Director (DPAD) assisted by a Deputy Director (DDPAD). PAD is divided into three substantive sections: the Regional and Provincial Section (RPS), the National Institutions Section (NIS) and the Conflict Prevention and Mitigation Section (CPMS). PAD also includes political affairs sections (PAS), deployed in provinces where MONUSCO still has an operational presence, namely Ituri, North Kivu and South Kivu, as well as in provinces where the Mission has residual presence and is collocating with UN Agencies, Funds and Programs, like in Haut-Katanga, Kasai Central and Tanganyika.