President Kiir Speech at the Closing of the g7+ Retreat in Juba
THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH SUDAN
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Speech of Kiir in g7+.pdf 234K View Download |
THE PRESIDENT
The Closing Remarks on the g7+ Retreat in Juba
H.E. Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit
President of the Republic of South Sudan
Juba, South Sudan
October 19, 2011
H.E. Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao
The Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Timor – Leste
Honourable Ministers
Distinguished Guests
Ladies and Gentlemen
On the onset, I would like to thank our Guest of honour, H.E. the Prime of the Democratic Republic of Timor -Leste and his delegation, among them, Her Excellency, Madam Emelia Pires, the Minister of Finance, for being with us here in Juba in the last two days. It could not be more appropriate that the first international conference in an independent South Sudan has brought together the membership of the g7+ to share experiences, to learn from one other and to develop a common position that reflects our collective experience.
The g7+ offers a unique platform for countries that are affected by fragility and conflict, coming together, to increase our voice on the international stage, and to propose new ways of doing business that fits the needs of our people and Governments.
I personally, take this opportunity to thank My Brother, Mr. Prime Minister, for visiting us and for taking his valuable time, during which he diligently conducted numerous meetings with our Government officials, donors, and our development partners, as well as other sectors here in Juba in his very short visit. It is worth saying that we in the Republic of South Sudan are grateful, and we have expressed that by taking an active role, participating in the g7+, since its inception in early 2010 before we even became an independent state. My Government views the g7+ as an essential forum for generating new ideas to address the challenges we face as fragile state. We have in the g7+ a collective commitment to finding new ways of building peaceful and stable future for all the citizens in our nations.
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen
Like many of our Brothers and Sisters in the other g7+ countries/states, we in South Sudan have come a long way, through different methods and means as we conducted our struggle. We achieved our destiny, through the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement in 2005, which assured us the right to self determination in an internationally supervised referendum. On the path towards the referendum we established the institutions of governance and started practicing democracy. Since then we held free and fair elections, and then the just concluded transparent, free and fair referendum. We have put in place a comprehensive Development Plan and are committed to tackling corruption. Though there is still much to be done we believe that we are on the path towards justices, liberty and prosperity.
Nevertheless, we must also recognise the fact that there are no short cuts to overcome a great number of the challenges in delivering peace, stability and development for our people. As the discussion over the past two days has emphasised, moving away from conflict towards development is a huge challenge. It requires a vision, strong commitment to building the institutions of government, and sound management of the nation’s resources. How we spend money as a government, and how our development partners spend money in our countries, is critically important to our success, given the scale of need across our nation.
For us in South Sudan, the list of what still needs to be done is endless and resources are scarce. We therefore value the significant contributions of the International Community, who have been with us during times of war and in peace. Their continued efforts have often complemented and enhanced the effectiveness of government spending in meeting the needs of our people, supporting us to provide improved access to health and education services, improving access to basic infrastructure and promoting the development of our economy.
However, experience from many of our countries is that all too often aid has been managed in a way that has bypassed our own systems. By using parallel structures, aid has undermined rather than strengthened our governance structures. This has resulted in a lack of government ownership and leadership of development aid.
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen
This is why the g7+ is so important. In the coming months we have the opportunity to influence the terms on which we receive support from our brothers and sisters in the developed world. As we move towards the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan taking place next month, it is clear that what we need from the International Community is not more of the same. Instead, we the members of the g7+ must push for a New Deal on international engagement with fragile states, in which the focus of international assistance should be on the process of peace and state building. This means strengthening the institutional capacity of government, delivering jobs for our people and providing access to justice for all. We need new partnership between our countries and our partners across the diplomatic, security and development communities.
If the fragile and post-conflict affected States are to achieve the targets set out in the Millennium Development Goals, we need to take immediate action. We need to make sure that aid builds our capacity as a government, rather than undermining it. We need to make sure that aid strengthens our systems, instead of replacing them. Most critically, we need to make sure that the Government is in the driver’s seat when it comes to managing the support offered by the International Community.
This means that we should develop new set of principles and actions for use in fragile and conflict affected States. The time has come for action, and South Sudan will continue to strive with all of you to move this agenda forward.
I truly hope that South Sudan can provide an example of what this New Deal between the Government and the International Community could look like.
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen
The challenges ahead are significant, but no more so than those we have all faced in the past. Collectively, we have the knowledge, the resources and the will to make a difference. Let us use our combined experience and voice to make fragility and conflict a thing of the past. As independent countries we can learn from each other, and avoid common mistakes. As a group we must encourage the international community to think and act differently when engaging with our countries. If we do these things, we will create an opportunity for change for the betterment of all our people.
Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen
Before closing, I would like to highlight my thanks to the Government of Timor Leste. It has been an honour to have been graced with the presence of His Excellency Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão in our New Republic, and we have greatly benefitted from the advice he has provided to us over the past few days. I would also like to recognise the Chair of the g7+, H.E. Emilia Pires, whose unwavering leadership has made it possible for us to gather here in Juba. We in South Sudan have a lot to learn from your experience in tackling the problems that we face today. I look forward to a continuing and sustained partnership with you and the Government of Timor Leste.
To all of the g7+ members thank you for your constructive engagement and commitment during the last two days here. Let us move forward with our agenda without hesitation and let us not rest until we achieve our goals. By learning from one another, we can ensure that we confine fragility and conflict to history forever.
I hope you liked the world’s newest nation, we are certainly glad that you came! I hereby declare the retreat closed.
Thank you and God bless you all.
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Speech of Kiir in g7+.pdf 234K View Download |
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