Peacebuilding Commission
Building Peace through Institutions and Governance in South Sudan
Statement by Latvia
Mr Chair, Honorable ministers, Excellencies, colleagues,
Latvia welcomes this timely meeting of the Peacebuilding Commission to advance peacebuilding goals in South Sudan. As a member of the PBC and a donor to PBF, Latvia remains a strong supporter of democratic aspirations of South Sudan, and we are pleased to have established diplomatic relations with South Sudan in 2021.
The remarks and briefings we heard today from government authorities, the civil society, as well as the UN and international institutions highlight the challenges affecting the peacebuilding efforts in South Sudan, ranging from volatile security situation to macroeconomic instability. Yet we also heard commitment by all stakeholders to join efforts to reverse the tide of instability and lay down a path towards peace, security and democratic future in South Sudan.
Latvia welcomes establishment of the Ministry of Peacebuilding of South Sudan, which demonstrates a positive step towards implementation of the 2018 Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan (R-ARCSS). We hope this step will energize the work on other elements of the Agreement, including holding of the elections. In order to overcome the magnitude of challenges, it is important that the actions by the Ministry and other institutions in South Sudan are focused on improving governance, as well as building societal resilience at local and national level.
Furthermore, Latvia highlights importance of pursuing the transitional justice agenda through such actions as establishment of the hybrid court and the truth commission, as well as implementation of the reparations mechanism. As the joint report[1] published in September by UNMISS and OHCHR demonstrates, widespread human rights violations are still being committed in South Sudan without repercussion. That cannot be accepted. In particular, we urge efforts to address gender-based violence and violence against children. The experience from other countries which have overcome protracted conflict confirms that ensuring justice and accountability is key element to heal wounds and build sustainable peace. There are no shortcuts in this process.
I would also like to express Latvia’s sympathy with the people of South Sudan over the devastating floods which have directly impacted over 900 thousand people, adding to already grave humanitarian situation in South Sudan. We commend the efforts by the UN and other international agencies, as well as local authorities to address the immediate effects and provide life-saving assistance to those affected. At the same time, this crisis serves as yet another example of the nexus between climate and peace. Without effectively addressing the climate change, the global community will be facing more and more instability caused by natural disasters, which will stretch further the scarce resources available for humanitarian assistance. We believe the situation in South Sudan demonstrates that this concern demands increasing attention and clear action.
To conclude, let me assure you of continued support of Latvia and the Peacebuilding Commission to South Sudan’s peacebuilding efforts.
I thank you.