South Sudan’s Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare has launched the National Plan of Action for Children (NPAC) to pave way for accountability, and fulfilment of children’s rights in the country.

The NPAC aims at pulling together all programmatic areas that affect children’s survival, development, protection, and participation in social, economic and political decision-making processes.

Save the Children supported the drafting of the Action Plan based on wider national and state-level consultations. The consultations were conducted in partnership with the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare.

Speaking during the official launch of the document in Juba on Thursday last week, Aya Benjamin Warille, the National Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare said: “This National Plan of Action clearly articulates and analyses priority child rights interventions in South Sudan.”

According to the minister, the action plan provides a holistic and comprehensive coordinated approach to addressing the diverse needs of children.

“It is also aligned to the National Development Strategy of South Sudan with its vision 2040, as well as the International Agenda 2030 for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – particularly Goals 1 to 5 equality for all with no discrimination to any segment of society,” she said.

Meanwhile,  the National Minister of Labour, James Hoth Mai, said: “Allow me to register my sincere gratitude to Save the Children International as one of the well-accredited global children’s organizations for the instrumental support given to our people here in the Republic of South Sudan, and I want to assure you that your effort and support will not go in vain, you will see the results, and this will be proved by this document (NPAC) that has been developed by the Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Welfare. Any effort we put in, we have to ensure we implement it. We know that we have budget constraints, but whatever we can do as a country, then we really need to do it.”

For his part, Muzamil Sebi, the Head of Advocacy, Campaigns & Safeguarding at Save the Children said: “The objectives of the NPAC are in line with Save the Children’s vision and mission because this document underlines our intent to secure the inherent rights for every child to be a child and enjoy a healthy and happy childhood, and to address the root causes that negate the healthy growth and development of children to awaken their conscience as they grow.  Save the Children will work in collaboration with the government and local partners to strengthen policies and systems so that children are able to survive, learn and be safe at all times in all places.”

The National Plan of Action for Children in South Sudan is a complementary mechanism to ensure effective coordination, monitoring, evaluation and implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the Child Act. It will also provide programmatic and policy frameworks for respecting, protecting and fulfilling the child rights governance in South Sudan.

South Sudan has ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Children (UNCRC), the African Charter on the Rights of the Child (ACRWC) and the South Sudan Child Act 2008.