Open Letter by NGOs to President of South Sudan!

H.E. President Salva Kiir Mayardit
Office of the President
Republic of South Sudan

CC: Minister of Foreign Affairs& International Cooperation, Barnaba Benjamin Marial
CC: Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare, Awut Deng Acuil
CC: Minister of Justice, Paulino Wanawilla Unango
CC: South Sudan Legislative Assembly
CC: South Sudan Human Rights Commission

30 October 2014

Your Excellency,

1st/11,2014 (Nyamilepedia) -We, the undersigned South Sudanese and international organizations, write to urge you to ensure that instruments of accession to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment(CAT) and its Optional Protocol, the Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) and its Optional Protocol, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and its Optional Protocols on the involvement of children in armed conflict and on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, are deposited with the Secretary General of the United Nations(UN) in New York.

Your Excellency,

We were pleased to hear H.E. Paulino Wanawilla announce to the UN Human Rights Council on 24 September that the government had acceded to these conventions. We were equally pleased to hear you repeat the same to the UN General Assembly on 27 September.

It has, however, come to our attention that despite these announcements, the accession process is not in fact complete, as instruments of accession have not yet been deposited with the Secretary General.

We welcome the completion of the accession process at the national level through parliament’s votes in favour of accession to the above mentioned treaties along with presidential assent. The second step of the accession process, however, requires that instruments of accession be formally deposited with the UN Secretary General. South Sudan is not considered a state party to these treaties until the instruments of accession have been deposited.

We believe that becoming a state party to these treaties could offer South Sudanese a source of hope in a context where too many have been displaced from their homes, witnessed death and experienced violence. Completing the accession process would demonstrate the government’s commitment to respecting rights and freedoms would strengthen the protection of rights.

We hope you will give this matter the urgent attention it deserves.

Please be assured of our highest regards and consideration.

Sincerely,

Amnesty International
Assistance Missions for Africa
Citizens for Peace and Justice
Community Empowerment for Progress Organization
End Impunity Organization
Human Rights Development Organization
Institute for the Promotion of Civil Society
REDRESS
South Sudan Law Society
South Sudan Women Empowerment Network
South Sudan Women Lawyers Association
Standard Action Liason Focus