South Sudan's English Daily Newspaper
"We Dare where others fear"
By Simon Deng
The National Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC) announced on Wednesday that it has completed preparations to begin collecting public views across South Sudan as part of the permanent constitution-making process.
Patrick Oyet Charles, Head of Civic Education and Public Consultation for the NCRC, stated that the orientation serves as a final briefing for members to gather data that will be used in drafting the permanent constitution.
Charles revealed that the first deployment will cover Eastern Equatoria, Lakes, Western Bahr el Ghazal, and Northern Bahr el Ghazal states, with 27 staff members, including commissioners, secretaries, and media officers, engaging citizens at the subnational level.
“We are here for a final briefing of members of the commission before they collect data. This data will be essential in drafting the permanent constitution; it is absolutely vital, as the constitution will be people-driven,” Charles said on Wednesday during the opening of the three-day orientation training on public consultation for members of the NCRC.
“We are still able to deliver a constitution before 2026. The preparatory work is completed; we are now going to the field for data collection, followed by the drafting of the constitution,” Charles added.
The training is designed to prepare commissioners to conduct public sensitisation and consultation in four selected states: Eastern Equatoria, Western Equatoria, Lakes, and Northern Bahr el Ghazal.
Korti William, the Acting Deputy Country Representative for UN Women, described the orientation as an opportunity for commission members to conduct effective consultations to ensure the permanent constitution truly reflects the needs of the people.
“Public participation and consultation in the constitution-making process are vital. This is also to ascertain the final content of the permanent constitution,” William said, adding that UN Women remains committed to supporting a gender-responsive, people-driven constitution that guarantees equality for all South Sudanese.
“Public participation is a critical element of the modern constitution-making process, supporting popular ownership and national consensus. Women, youth, and persons with disabilities should be enabled to play a variety of roles; it is actually an obligation,” she said.
Jackline Nasiwa, the Executive Director of the Centre for Inclusive Governance, Peace, and Justice, noted that the training equips commissioners with the skills needed for data collection and public consultation.
“The training equips commissioners with the skills needed for data collection. The commissioners are now preparing to engage grassroots communities to raise awareness and collect data,” Nasiwa stated.
