By Victor Dodo
The head of South Sudan government delegation to the 147th Assembly of the Interparliamentary Union, Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba will today, Wednesday, deliver her keynote address at the ongoing five day gathering in the Angolan capital, Luanda, as the event enters its third day.
During her address, the head of South Sudan’s National Legislative Assembly speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba will touch on several areas including in-depth and comprehensive progress report on the peace implementation process, explaining the considerable gains the National Unity Government has made in the peace process, for instance, graduation of the first batch of the necessary unified forces and the expeditious ongoing arrangements for their subsequent deployment across the tens states and three administrative areas, to boost protection of lives and property and ensure prevalence of overall peace and stability as the world’s youngest sovereign country readies for the conduct of its first Democratic elections since attaining independence from Sudan in 2011, the permanent constitution making process which is among critical benchmarks for the conduct of a free, fair and credible elections, the South Sudan Revenue Authority Amendment Bill 2023, the Social Insurance Bill 2023, the National Elections Bill 2023, the completed construction work on the expanded parliamentary building to matched international standard. The expanded legislative building permanently resolves the long-standing challenge of lack of adequate space for parliamentary business.
The South Sudan Parliament Speaker will further touch on the country’s government peace mediation effort in Sudan.
It must be noted that South Sudan is the chief mediator and guarantor to the Juba peace Agreement signed between rivaling parties in the Sudan.
Most importantly, Speaker Jemma Nunu Kumba will outline and expound on the challenges confronting South Sudan’s peace process which includes but not limited to the Arms embargo, which has to a larger extent contributed to the delay in deployment of the necessary unified forces, the issue of flooding in some parts of the country for example in the Greater Upper Nile region which most often hinder smooth delivery of much needed basic supplies including food and medicines to the unified forces in cantonment and training centers.
The National Legislative Assembly will further call global attention to her government’s tremendous infrastructural development including ongoing countrywide roads construction and a newly constructed mega water supply system to distributed clean drinking water to the population in the country’s national capital Juba with already ongoing plans to expand the water system all over the country.
The Interparliamentary Union Assembly is being hosted in Angola’s National Assembly.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the Assembly on Monday 23rd October 2023, Angolan president, Joao Manuel Gonclaves Lourenco and Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General, Partfait Onanga- Anyanga, both highlighted the grave and concerning challenges facing world governments including conflicts, climate change, the two leaders implored parliaments to deliver services to their people.
President Joao also applauded the continent of Africa for hosting for a second time the IPU Assembly.
On his part, outgoing IPU President, Duarte Pacheco, said: “When I was elected President of the IPU, nearly three years ago, I had many ambitions: to see the end of the COVID-19 pandemic; to live in a safer, greener, more peaceful and equal world; and perhaps most importantly to find moments that bring us together as a global community.
“Through the universal language of music, in this moment of tension around the world, let us pause and reflect on what binds us together rather than on what divides us. Through the new IPU anthem, let us come together in harmony, rather than fight over our differences,” he said.
The event from 23rd -27th 2023, will witness the election of a new president for the IPU to replace the outgoing Mr. Daurte Pacheco, a member of parliament from Portugal.
The IPU Assembly will conclude with adoption of an outcome document on the overall theme of the general debate dubbed “Parliamentary action for peace, Justice and strong institutions”. This lies closely to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 16: Peace, justice, and strong institutions, which is a closely followed developed framework for Parliaments around the world.
IPU assembly is biannual convergence of parliamentarians from across the world under one roof to discuss and address a wide range of socio-political and geopolitical topics, all with the general theme of promoting peace, democracy, and sustainable development.