South Sudan, UN agree to collaborate on achieving 5 priority sustainable development goals

The United Nations agencies promised last week to work collectively with the government to successfully implement 5 priority sustainable development goals (SDGs) to help the country transition toward peace and development.

By Simon Deng

The United Nations agencies promised last week to work collectively with the government to successfully implement 5 priority sustainable development goals (SDGs) to help the country transition toward peace and development.

Anita Kiki Gbeho, Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and Resident Coordinator in South Sudan said the United Nations system will provide the youngest nation with technical expertise and resources to implement the five priority SDGs, such as quality education, good health, zero hunger and climate action, and peace, justice and strong institutions.

“I would like to reaffirm the unwavering support of the United Nations in assisting South Sudan in its voluntary national review process, together with our partners we commit to provide technical expertise to strengthen capacity and mobilize resources,” Kiki said during the first voluntary national review of South Sudan’s progress on the implementation of the 17 SDGs held in Juba.

Kiki noted that South Sudan currently faces numerous challenges on it’s path to sustainable development, adding that the current economic and humanitarian crisis demonstrates that the road ahead to realizing the priority SDGs will not be easy.

According to UN, 9 million people (54% of them children) will require humanitarian assistance in 2024, including 7.1 million people estimated to become severely food insecure at the peak of the lean season between April and July.

“However, within every challenge lies an opportunity, South Sudanese have demonstrated resilience time and time again overcoming conflict, most recently through the revitalized peace agreement. There is also gradual progress on issues of women in government and decision-making for example through the appointment of a female vice president, a female governor and 8 female ministers in the transitional government,” Kiki said.

She advised the government to take seriously climate change adaptation and action if it’s to realize sustainable development.

“We have just seen over the last week a significant heat wave that has affected the country, and forced schools to be closed, if South Sudan does not anticipate climate change and take on board adaptation and action it will be difficult for the country to be sustainable moving forward,” Kiki said.

Awut Deng Acuil, minister of general education and instruction speaking to journalists during the launch of the voluntary national review on SDGs.

Awut Deng Acuil, minister of general education and instruction said that the government since independence in 2011 has made progress in improving school enrolment from 300,000 to the current 2.2 million learners.

“When we started at independence we had only 300,000 students in school, today we speak of 2.2 million students in school, we still have 2.8 million students out of school and for us to be able to reach where the rest of the countries are there are factors that can enhance progress, one of them is when you have qualified teachers,” Acuil said.

 However, she admitted that lack of enough qualified teachers in the country remains a major stumbling block to realizing quality education in the country.

Stephen Par Kuol, the minister of peacebuilding, said that achieving sustainable development goals requires holistic approach that encompasses economic, social and environmental dimension.

He said the country has so far achieved relative peace and stability, adding that peacebuilding, reconciliation and healing are some of the key things the transitional unity government is committed to fulfill.

“We committed ourselves to the following priorities as the national government of the day, our priority number one is peace and stability, and sustainable development cannot be achieved in the absence of peace and stability. The government is committed to strengthen institutions that promote rule of law, combating corruption and effective management of resources,” Kuol said.

Benjamin Ayala Koyongwa, the undersecretary for planning in the ministry of finance and planning, said the voluntary national review process provides opportunity to share and learn from other UN member countries both in the region and in other parts of the world on how they managed to successfully implement the 17 global objectives of the SDGs.

“The review is going to continue until we have a report ready for presentation before the United Nations in July 2024. The voluntary national review gives us a platform to benchmark with other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and in East African region, on how we can improve on the implementation of the SDGs that we have selected,” Ayala said.

He added that South Sudan requires qualified, competent and professional workforce to deliver on the policy objectives of the government.

 We are focusing on SDG 4 as a country to ensure that our education system is supported financially, but also the capacity of our teachers is developed to deliver at par with countries in the region,” he said.

The first South Sudan SDGs voluntary national review is scheduled to take place between February and June 2024, culminating in government presenting the country’s report to the High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) for Sustainable Development of the United Nations Social Council (ECOSOC) on 15-17 July 2024.

During this period stakeholders will engage in data collection, analysis, consultations and the preparation of the voluntary national review report.

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