South Sudan Governors’ Forum to discuss peace challenges
By James Gatdet Dak
September 28, 2008 (JUBA) – The 6th Governors’ Forum of Southern Sudan will begin on Monday in Juba to review progress achieved and resolve on challenges facing state governments in the context of implementing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).
Top in the agenda is expected to be the issue of insecurity in the semi-autonomous region.
In 2006, the Presidency of the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) established the Governors Forum involving ten Southern Sudan states governors as a quarterly round-table to share ideas and resolve on common issues.
Other concerned GoSS institutions and international partners including the United Nations, World Bank and Non-governmental organizations also participate in the Forum on invitation.
The theme of the meeting is to operationalize decentralization in Southern Sudan for effective CPA implementation, and will be officially opened by the GoSS President Salva Kiir Mayardit who will highlight objectives and expected outcome of the meeting.
The five-day Forum, whose sessions will be chaired and facilitated by the Vice President, Riek Machar Teny, will first listen and react to status report on implementation of recommendations of the 5th Governors’ Forum, after which each state will present achievements scored and challenges faced since the last Forum.
On fiscal decentralization, the meeting will reflect on status, progress and challenges for the year 2009 budget.
It will also discuss administrative decentralization and reforms that will include GoSS functions, inter-governmental relations between GoSS and state governments, Civil Service and Public Service reforms.
On Local Government level, the Forum will discuss progress and challenges in the areas of legislation, capacity building, staffing and boundaries.
The meeting will also have an Aid Strategy overview and debate on coordination of foreign development assistance. These will include presentations by representatives of Multi-Donors Trust Fund/World Bank (MDTF/WB), United States Aid for International Development (USAID), Joint Donors Team (JDT), United Nations Development Program (UNDP), among others.
The Forum will finally have an overview on the status of CPA implementation, particularly on North-South demarcation process, challenges and preparations for the coming general elections.
(ST)