76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
UN Security Council on UNITAMS
Statement by Ambassador Sven Jürgenson
September 14, New York
I join others in thanking the briefers for their insightful interventions. I also warmly welcome the participation of chargé d’affaires of Sudan in this meeting.
Madam President,
At the outset, I would like to commend the bravery and resilience of Sudanese women, without who Sudan would not be on the path of the historic transition. It is clear that sustainable peace and a healthy democracy cannot be achieved without meaningful participation of women. Therefore, we urge the transitional Government, to re-double its efforts to make women’s full, equal and meaningful participation, including in decision-making bodies, a reality.
Estonia welcomes the progress Sudan continues to make in its transition, including the economic reforms and the entry into force of the laws on Anti-Corruption, Transitional Justice and Peace Commissions. We also welcome the Prime Minister’s initiative of 22 June, which aims to respond to the demands of the population. However, we recognize that the transition is facing multiple challenges. For the transition to stay on course, as envisioned by the revolution and the Constitutional Declaration, the importance of institution building cannot be overemphasized, as institutions form the backbone of any democracy. Therefore, we urge the transitional authorities to expedite the formation of key transitional institutions, including the Transitional Legislative Council, with 40 per cent representation of women.
Estonia welcomes the efforts to implement the Juba Peace Agreement, including the establishment of the National High Committee and sub-committees. We also welcome the enhanced cooperation with the International Criminal Court. However, there is a clear need to accelerate the implementation of the Peace Agreement, in order to respond to the hopes of the population to live in peace. For this reason, we urge the transitional Government to prioritize the operationalization of the committees to help to address pressing security challenges. It is also important to continue efforts to encourage the parties, who have not yet joined the Peace Agreement, to do so urgently.
Despite aforementioned progress, one persistent concern is the precarious security situation, particularly in some parts of Darfur, and the devastating consequences of intercommunal violence. We urge the transitional Government to accelerate the implementation of its National Plan for Civilian Protection, and call for urgent deployment of the joint security keeping forces. Efforts must be re-doubled to ensure the safety of civilians, including women and children. Perpetrators of violence must be held accountable, as there will be no peace without justice.
To conclude, we welcome the progress that Sudan has made, but also acknowledge that a long road lies ahead. However, Sudan will not have to walk this path alone, as international community stands firmly behind Sudan’s historic transition. We hope that Sudan and UNITAMS will continue to strengthen their cooperation with the purpose of making tangible progress, including in the areas of transition, peace and civilian protection. I reiterate Estonia’s full support to Sudanese people to achieve democracy, peace and prosperity.