By Kidega Livingstone
Parliament on Wednesday passed the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) and the Protocol Thereto, as well as the UN Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.
The Parliament also ratified a treaty establishing the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), which will now be submitted to President Salva Kiir Mayardit for assent and implementation.
Speaking during the parliamentary session, the First Deputy Speaker, Hon. Oyet Nathaniel, emphasized the Legislature’s responsibility to ensure that all international conventions signed by the Republic of South Sudan are passed and then implemented through the domestication of their provisions in national laws.
“This is our responsibility as the August House to ensure that we receive all conventions being entered into or signed by the Republic of South Sudan, and we pass them for the President to assent to,” he said.
“Then the next phase will be the implementation of the provisions of these conventions, which we encourage and ask the relevant ministries to ensure that they domesticate the provisions of these conventions in our national laws,” Nathaniel stated.
The Spokesperson of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly, Benjamin Oliver, highlighted the significance of these conventions for South Sudan.
The UNTOC, he said, is crucial in addressing organized crimes committed by both the state and individuals outside the country’s borders, as it provides a framework for international cooperation in such cases.
Furthermore, the UN Convention against Illicit Drug Trafficking was also thoroughly discussed and passed by the Parliament without any reservations, Oliver added.
The passage of these conventions is a positive step in aligning South Sudan’s legal framework with international standards and strengthening the country’s ability to combat transnational organized crimes and drug trafficking.
The next phase will involve the domestication of these conventions into national laws, which will be decisive in ensuring their effective implementation and enforcement.