By Kidega Livingstone
Civil Society Platform on Peacebuilding and State Building has validated South Sudan’s Sustainable Development Goals 16 as part of the voluntary national review process.
The initiative underscores commitment of the CSOs to achieving peace, justice, and strong institutions in alignment with the South Sudan Vision 2040.
National Coordinator for the Civil Society Platform on Peacebuilding and State-Building, Taban Christoper, said that South Sudan’s Vision 2040 envisions a unified, peaceful, and prosperous nation guided by robust democratic governance.
Taban cited that the constitution provides a legal framework that emphasizes human rights, rule of law, and democratic principles.
“The Revitalized Peace Agreement on the resolution of the conflict in South Sudan signed in 2018 presents a critical step towards addressing conflict through power sharing, security reforms, and institutional restructuring, Taban said.
However, Taban added that the CSOs acknowledge the significant challenges in implementation of the agreement due to political disagreements and resource constraints.
He reveals that the CSOs emphasized the importance of enhanced data collection mechanisms, community policing initiatives, expanded access to legal aid, and increased youth involvement as essential development toward sustainable development.
According to Taban, the CSOs presented findings a report focused on SDG 16, aiming at providing a clear, credible perspective on South Sudan’s progress, challenges, opportunities, and recommendations.
“This effort contributes to informed policy-making and enhances accountabilities in national development strategies,” he said.
The VNR process involves collaboration between government agencies, civil society, and the private sector.
In 2015, the world came together and agreed on seventeen goals: to take the entire world population toward achieving development and to ensure that nobody was left behind.
This process of voluntary national review (VNR) is being undertaken by most countries across the globe.