President Kiir signs three international conventions to law. (Photo: Office of the President).

President Salva Kiir consented to three international conventions against illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs, transnational organized crimes, and terrorism financing.

The United Nations conventions include the 1999 International Conventions for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism, which enhances international cooperation in devising and adopting effective measures for the prevention of the financing of terrorism.

The other one is the UN Convention against illicit traffic in Narcotic drugs and Psychotropic substances, adopted in 1988.

This Convention aims to limit the diversion and abuse of certain psychotropic substances, such as central nervous stimulants, sedative-hypnotics, and hallucinogens, which had resulted in public health and social problems in South Sudan.

The third instrument is the Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and the Protocols which helps in the fight against transnational organized crime.

The convention obligates UN member parties to criminalize such conduct as well as establishing an international legal frame work for cooperation among states in terms of prevention, financing and ensuring prosecution and punishment of offenders wherever found.

It also imposes legal obligation upon state parties to submit for prosecution or to expel any person within their jurisdiction who commits, or attempts to commit, participate as collaborator, organizes or direct others to commit an offense.

It provides for cooperation and sharing of information among state parties to take appropriate action, and allows state parties to seek extradition through a legal process, thereby enabling them to pursue offenders beyond their jurisdiction.

The South Sudan parliament on 7th August 2024 ratified the UN Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances 1988, and the Convention on Transnational Organized Crime and the Protoccols.

The conventions were tabled by the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Justice Ruben Madol Arol on 1^st July 2024.