The United Nations Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Moustapha Soumaré, and the Deputy Minister of Interior, Riaw Gatlir Gai, on Thursday inaugurated the Prisons Development Committee (PDC) at a function organized by the National Prisons Service of South Sudan (NPS) in Juba.
Addressing the gathering, Riaw Gatlir Gai stressed the significant role that the PDC will play in strengthening the relationship between the government and its development partners. He called for greater coordination between stakeholders and advocated that the PDC focus foremost on measures to ensure the rehabilitation of prisoners into the society.
For his part, Soumaré reaffirmed UNMISS and its Rule of Law Advisory Section’s commitment to providing technical assistance and advice to NPS to create a safe, secure, and humane prison system. In commending the ongoing partnership between UNMISS and NPS, Mr. Soumaré described the PDC as a robust coordination mechanism that will bring together all stakeholders to give strategic guidance and support to the prison service.
PDC is described as a multi-sectoral platform bringing together the police, judiciary, government ministries and agencies, UNMISS, UN agencies, civil society and other stakeholders in the prison system, to coordinate its strategic direction going forward. Its functions include maintaining international best practices in prisons management, monitoring human rights standards, and developing prisoner treatment programs with the aim of improving prison institutions.