Participants at the Fourth High-Level Forum on Revenue Management in Juba, Tuesday, November 12, 2024. | Credit: Eye Radio/Koang Pal

The annual forum on natural resource management was inaugurated by Vice President Dr. James Wani Igga on Tuesday, November 12, 2024.

The forum brought together a diverse range of stakeholders, including representatives from the Ministries of Petroleum, Federal Affairs, and Finance, policymakers, members of civil society, lawmakers, and academics to support the National Constitutional Review Commission.

Key government officials present at the forum’s opening included Mary Ayen, First Deputy Speaker of the Council of States, Dr. Marial Dongrin, Minister of Finance and Planning; Lasuba Wongo, Minister of Federal Affairs; and the governors of Upper Nile, Unity, and Eastern Equatoria—James Odhok and Louis Lobong, along with the Deputy Governor of Central Equatoria, Paulino Lukudu.

Also in attendance were Dr Riang Yer Zuor, chairperson of the National Constitution Review Commission; a representative from Western Bahr el Ghazal State; and officials from the Ruweng Administrative Area.

The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) supported the Fourth High-Level Forum on Fiscal Devolution and Revenue Management in South Sudan organized by the Council of States in collaboration with the Ministries of Finance & Planning and Petroleum.

A key focus of the forum is sharing experiences from oil-producing states and communities, offering valuable insights into how wealth is managed and distributed among federal constituent units in federal systems.

These lessons are expected to inform South Sudan’s ongoing efforts to refine its fiscal and revenue-sharing mechanisms as part of the broader constitutional process.