The Speaker of the Reconstituted Transitional National Assembly, Jemma Nunu Kumba, has said the revitalised peace agreement addresses democratic governance in the country.

She was speaking upon her arrival in Juba after participating in the inter-parliamentary union assembly (IPU) on democracy in Madrid, Spain, last week.

Nunu said the delegation from South Sudan briefed the assembly on the progress made by parties in the implementation of the peace agreement, and some of the challenges facing the country, such as the floods due to climate change.

“It is one of the mechanisms that is addressing the issue of democratic governance where we have all the parties in the agreement participating in the national assembly,” Nunu said.

“It was a very important assembly for us as South Sudan to position ourselves and put ourselves on the world stage to present our issues,” she added.

The 143rd Assembly of the IPU and related meetings held in Madrid (IFEMA Palacio Municipal) from November 26 to 30, 2021, at the invitation of the Spanish Parliament, was the first in-person assembly since October 2019 and the pandemic’s onslaught.

During this assembly, all IPU statutory bodies met, including the Governing Council, Standing Committees, and Committees on Parliamentarians’ Human Rights and Middle East Issues, as well as the Forum of Women Parliamentarians and the Forum of Young MPs.

According to a press release issued by the assembly on November 30, the General Debate was intended to provide delegates with a forum to think, exchange ideas, and mobilise parliamentary action to protect and advance democracy around the world.

It further stated that the assembly will pass resolutions on the emergency item, as well as the subject item taken up by the Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights, titled: “Legislation Worldwide to Prevent Online Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children.”

Ms. Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, Speaker of the National Assembly (NA), was elected by a special sitting of the National Assembly (NA) as the speaker of the house in August 2021. She hails from the Eastern Cape, South Africa, and heads the high-level delegation of Members of Parliament to the 143rd Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly.

The assembly’s main focus was on today’s challenges to democracy: overcoming divides and fostering community. Members of the IPU were tasked with exploring what parliaments can do to address voters’ waning trust in political institutions, rising polarisation, and the propagation of misinformation via social media.

The lawmakers were also asked to share ideas on how to interact with the public more meaningfully and ensure that decision-making is as inclusive and representative as possible. A discussion on dealing with threats to MPs, whether physical or online, was high on the Assembly’s agenda.

The IPU unveiled several new tools for parliamentarians, including a gender-responsive law-making handbook developed in collaboration with UN Women, a regional report on sexism, harassment, and violence against women in African parliaments, and guidelines for parliamentarians on budgeting for the Sustainable Development Goals during the assembly.

Delegates will also consider a draft resolution on global laws to address child sexual exploitation and abuse on the internet.

The IPU is a global organisation of national parliaments that promotes peace, democracy, and sustainable development by facilitating parliamentary diplomacy and empowering parliaments and parliamentarians around the world.

Building strong democratic parliaments, advancing gender equality and respect for women’s rights, protecting and promoting human rights, contributing to peace, conflict resolution, and security, fostering inter-parliamentary dialogue and cooperation, promoting youth empowerment, mobilising parliaments around the global development agenda, and bridging the democracy gap in global governance are priorities for the IPU.

The IPU was founded in 1889, and it now has a membership of 179 national legislatures. Geneva, Switzerland, is where the company’s headquarters are located.