By Yiep Joseph
A civil society activist has called on the Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity (R-TGoNU) to cease high-cost conferences of minimal impact.
Ter Manyang, Executive Director of Centre for Peace and Advocacy (CPA) urged the government to prioritize sustainable investments and policy execution as the country faces multiple crises.
“CPA urges the government and stakeholders to prioritize sustainable investments and policy execution over high-cost conferences with minimal impact,” Ter stated.
His remarks followed the government’s plan to spend $385,000 on the upcoming East African Scientific Conference scheduled to be held in Juba, South Sudan.
Ter emphasized that high-cost conferences with little impact or unimplementable resolutions will not improve the situation but may worsen it.
He appealed to the government to stop spending on conferences and projects that do not enhance the lives of South Sudanese citizens.
He noted that recent experiences show that most conferences fail to solve the issues for which they are convened, providing little benefit to the South Sudanese people.
Ter proposed that the funds allocated for the conference should instead support South Sudanese embassies abroad, many of which are reportedly struggling to operate effectively.
“CPA suggests that the estimated $385,000 earmarked for the conference should be redirected to support these embassies,” he said.
He added that, as a civil society organization, CPA has observed that most resolutions from such conferences are not implemented effectively.
“Based on our past experiences, similar conferences have been held with little to no follow-through,” he stated. “The resolutions made often remain unaddressed and unimplemented, making such events largely symbolic rather than solution-driven.”
He cited previous forums, including the 8th Governors’ Forum and the Economic Forum, as examples where discussions did not translate into meaningful actions.
The advocacy group emphasized that while dialogue is important, it must be backed by implementation and accountability.
“We are deeply concerned about the government’s commitment to the welfare of civil servants and the general public,” he said. “The people of South Sudan need concrete action, not another round of empty promises.”
The activist also called on the South Sudanese government to prioritize service delivery for its citizens.
As the country faces an economic crisis, Ter urged the government to utilize available resources to improve the lives of civil servants and organized forces.