UNMISS Records Achievements In South Sudan
The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) through a Report of the Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon recorded its achievements and challenges in the Republic of South Sudan on outreach in all 10 States to promote mandate sensitization, while also engaging the media on mission activities. 27 March 2013 By Peter Lokale Nakimangole TORIT, 26 March 2013 [Gurtong] – The United Nations Radio Miraya further expanded reception of its broadcasts to reach wider audiences in a number of new communities, and has arranged to co-locate Radio Miraya transmitters on mobile phone towers to enable greater sustainability of broadcast transmissions. The report reveals that during the reporting period, UNMISS expanded its learning and development opportunities for national staff. To date, over 1,500 national staff have been trained in management, administration, leadership and other technical and substantive subjects. It articulates that from 5 November to 21 December last year, UNMISS embarked on intensive awareness-raising of all UNMISS personnel on sexual exploitation and abuse. During a period of seven weeks, 3,636 civilian, UNPOL and military personnel were trained in all 10 States, along with 588 representatives from the United Nations country team, the Government and civil society, who, in turn, will train others to promote wider awareness of sexual exploitation and abuse. The mission provided technical support to women’s organizations reviewing the Transitional Constitution to make recommendations to the National Constitutional Review Commission regarding women’s access, control and inheritance of property, inclusion of the marriageable age for girls in the final constitution, and the need to harmonize customary and statutory laws to protect the rights of women and girls. The UNMISS and UN-Women continued to provide training for Government and security services on gender mainstreaming, and support to the Government to implement Security Council resolution 1325 (2000). As part of its achievements, the Mission trained 275 national change agents and continued its outreach through HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns, reaching more than 46,000 government and uniformed personnel. The United Nations Joint Programme on HIV and AIDS continued its capacity-building support to the Government. However, the UNMISS report regretfully notes that despite efforts to ensure the Country nurtures peacefully, the volatile security situation in the northern border areas and the continued activities of armed groups in Jonglei State posed risks for United Nations personnel, as did the increase in criminality, particularly armed robberies and hijackings, in some urban centres in the country. Following the shooting down of its helicopter on 21 December, UNMISS urgently reviewed and further strengthened air safety measures. Part of the Mission report says that on 18 February, four military crew members and a helicopter of the Rwandan Aviation Unit that landed in Yei, Central Equatoria State, were threatened and detained for two and half hours by members of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army and the County Commissioner, despite the Mission having coordinated with the Sudan People’s Liberation Army prior to the flight. The crew was released after intervention by Sudan People’s Liberation Army Headquarters. The Government and UNMISS have agreed to organize mandatory sensitization and training of all security organs on the UNMISS mandate, the status of forces agreement, privileges and immunities of United Nations personnel and South Sudan’s obligations under relevant international legal instruments, including those pertaining to human rights. The Vice President has also decided to convene a special meeting of the Government-UNMISS Joint Mechanism to discuss measures to stop status of forces agreement violations. With respect to the Human Rights Officer who was expelled in October 2012, despite further appeals, the Government has maintained its original decision. On 25 January, two Human Rights Officers were detained and questioned for several hours by Military Intelligence when they went to one of its offices for a meeting in the course of their duties. My Special Representative raised the matter with the highest levels of the Government and was assured that steps would be taken to ensure there would be no repetition of such incidents. In particular, the essential more stringent aviation safety measures in the aftermath of the downing of a Mission helicopter have rendered aerial reconnaissance for early warning purposes impossible and have restricted the capacity to react to incidents in a timely manner. In addition, the sheer scale of the task compared to the resources and capacity available to the Mission and to the Government presents ongoing challenges. The UN Chief notes in his report that impact on the security situation in South Sudan of the delayed implementation of the 27 September 2012 Cooperation Agreements with the Sudan has been a cause for concern. The deadlock, which was finally broken on 8 March when the parties agreed to activate the SDBZ and establish the JBVMM, has resulted in increased tensions and skirmishes in the border areas. The prolonged stand-off illustrates the lack of confidence between the two countries, which could reverse recent positive trends, including on the management of seasonal cross border migration. He also notes with great fears that the anticipated impact of the delay in the resumption of oil production on the economic situation will be significant. Fiscal austerity measures continue to negatively impact upon public services and investment, further contracting economic growth and employment opportunities. Posted in: Home, Governance, Foreign Aid/Assistance -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
