In partnership with the Local Government Board (LGB) and the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs (MoJCA), the UNDP Access to Justice and Rule of Law Project, with the support of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, is organising the third Annual Rule of Law Forum for Traditional Leaders in Juba. The forum will enable traditional leaders from various states to explore avenues of employing traditional justice mechanisms to address legacies of conflict in South Sudan and promote reconciliation and sustainable peace, in a gender-sensitive manner. A study on the harmonisation of customary laws and the national legal system in South Sudan will be officially launched during the opening ceremony and subsequently discussed by a panel of experts. These discussions will be followed by deliberations on the development of legislation that harmonises customary and statutory laws.
What: 2016 South Sudan Annual Rule of Law Forum for Traditional Leaders, under the theme: “Exploring traditional justice as a vehicle for peace and reconciliation in South Sudan”
When: Wednesday 7 December 2016 – Thursday 8 December 2016.
Where: Juba Regency Hotel
Who: Representatives of:
- Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs
- Local Government Board
- Judiciary of South Sudan
- Traditional leaders: paramount chiefs and executive chiefs
The annual forum provides a platform for discussions on the customary and statutory systems in South Sudan, as well as avenues for achieving peace and reconciliation. Among the issues to be covered are:
- Harmonisation of customary laws and the national legal system in South Sudan;
- A reflection on implementation of the 19-point resolution that was adopted during the 2015 Forum;
- Traditional dispute resolution mechanisms and customary justice as ways to address legacies of violence, with attention to particular needs of youth and women;
- Role of traditional leaders in promoting peace, reconciliation and healing;
- Generating a way forward: using traditional dispute resolution mechanisms and customary justice to achieve peace and reconciliation in South Sudan.
The Annual Rule of Law Forum for Traditional Leaders is undertaken within the broader UNDP’s Access to Justice and Rule of Law Project, funded by the Department of International Development of the United Kingdom, Government of the Netherlands, Government of Norway, Government of Japan, United State Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (US INL), Government of Germany, and UNDP’s Bureau for Policy and Programmme Support. The project aims to increase access to justice to citizens of South Sudan with special focus on women; reducing case backlog and prolonged and arbitrary detention at state level; ascertaining customary law; and strengthening the capacity of Police, Prisons, Ministry of Justice and Judiciary.
Distributed by APO on behalf of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
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Source: APO – Africa-Newsroom: latest news releases related to Africa
