Government, Civil Society Move to Fast-Track Maputo Protocol Implementation Amid Delays

By Jenifer James

South Sudan is stepping up efforts to accelerate the implementation of the Maputo Protocol, as the government, civil society organisations and development partners move to establish a technical working group to address delays in enforcing the women’s rights treaty, three years after its ratification in 2023.

The proposed technical working group is expected to strengthen coordination among government institutions, civil society organisations and development partners, while ensuring that commitments under the protocol translate into concrete actions to protect the rights of women and girls.

The initiative emerged during a one-day stakeholder meeting organised by Global Voices Organisation (GVO), with support from Norwegian Church Aid (NCA), bringing together more than 20 participants from government institutions, civil society and church-based organisations.

Speaking at the meeting on Wednesday, Betty Okech, Director of Child Protection at the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare, called for stronger coordination between government institutions and civil society to ensure effective implementation of the protocol.

She stressed that government institutions must play a central role in initiatives concerning women, children and persons with disabilities.

Okech also called for the development of a national action plan to guide the implementation process.

“We need an action plan because without it, we cannot effectively implement this document. We must break it down into actionable steps for our country,” she said.

The proposed technical working group is expected to coordinate advocacy efforts, support legal and policy reforms, and oversee the development of a national action plan to guide the implementation of the protocol.

Nyakuoth Top Kuek, a representative of Norwegian Church Aid, stressed that the success of the proposed working group would depend on the commitment of its members to fulfil their responsibilities.

“This is crucial. Forming the committee is only the first step; without implementation, it remains merely a formality,” Kuek stated.

Meanwhile, Josephine Chandiru, Executive Director of Global Voices Organisation, expressed concern over the slow pace of implementation, saying the lack of progress had made it difficult for stakeholders to monitor and assess achievements.

“Since ratification in 2023, the process of domestication and implementation has begun, but it is slow, and tracking it has been challenging,” she said.

Chandiru recalled that a national consultative meeting organised by the Ministry in August 2025 identified three key priorities: conducting consultations across six states, establishing a technical working group, and strengthening partners’ capacity for treaty reporting.

South Sudan ratified the Maputo Protocol in February 2023 and deposited its instrument of ratification with the African Union in June of the same year.

The Maputo Protocol is a regional legal framework that seeks to protect women’s rights, promote gender equality and address discrimination and violence against women across Africa.