Norway has released $28.3 million to strengthen governance and economic management in the country.
In a statement extended to Eye Radio, the Royal Norwegian Embassy and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced the signing of a three-year partnership agreement Tuesday.
According to the statement, the partnership agreement will help implement a new project – Governance and Economic Management Support (GEMS).
It’ll be directly implemented by UNDP from August 2019 through December 2022 for a total cost of $28.3 million.
It says the project is meant for the implementation of the revitalized peace agreement across the country.
A total of 38 Ministries, Agencies and Departments under the R-ARCSS will be provided with capacity development and integrity strengthening support during the period, the statement stated.
It emphasizes that the overarching goal of the Norway-UNDP partnership is to set South Sudan on a pathway to sustainable peace and development.
The project will focus on improved state-citizens relations and effective service delivery through expertise, leadership, and capacities to implement the R-ARCSS.
It’ll also be enabling economic and governance institutions to manage public resources in an accountable and inclusive manner, and capacitating national integrity systems to deliver their mandates.
The statement stressed that successful implementation of the peace agreement will create opportunities for strengthening national institutions for service delivery and entrenching peace and social cohesion in the country.
“The R-ARCSS success hinges on political will, strong leadership, and strong institutional and human capacities,” partly said the statement.
The Norwegian Ambassador to South Sudan, Lars Andersen, noted that the project will support the peace agreement in two areas.
“Stabilization and Resilience Trust Fund will support the implementation of the peace agreement in two different ways: one is by providing support to stabilization efforts and various activities to reconcile communities and to build resilience,” said Ambassador Andersen.
“And, through GEMS, provide key institutions in the Government with the capacity they need to transform the public service and to provide government functions that can deliver on the peace agreement.”
For his part, UNDP Resident Representative, Kamil Kamaluddeen, said the country needs the right systems and institutions to deliver services to the people.
“Strengthening the right institutions with the right systems and capacities to deliver services to the people, with quality and integrity, is key to ensure that the future the people in South Sudan desire – of peace, stability, and prosperity – is achieved,” said Kamaluddeen.
The signing of the partnership was witnessed by the Minister of Labor, Public Service, and Human Resource Development, Hon. James Hoth Mai, and the Deputy Minister of Finance and Economic Planning.
Other include the UN Women Country Representative, and a host of senior government officials, think tank and civil society representatives.