The situation in South Sudan remains dire, with civilians facing a range of threats – including floods, famine and displacement – and humanitarian needs at the highest level since 2011. At the same time, humanitarian access is constrained by attacks against humanitarian workers, and security forces in South Sudan pose increasing restrictions against civil society leaders, human rights defenders and journalists. As civil society briefers (March 2022, September 2021, June 2021, April 2021, March 2021, September 2020, June 2019, March 2019, September 2018, May 2018) have emphasized, since the signing of the R-ARCSS over three years ago, there has been limited to no progress in implementing crucial provisions on security sector reform, constitutional and electoral reform, and transitional justice. Although major towns – including the capital Juba – remain calm, violence increased in October and November of 2021, partially due to the exclusionary nature of political and peace efforts at all levels. Meanwhile, impunity prevails, communities do not feel represented by officials, and there is a lack of accountability for misuse of authority. Increased efforts must be made to ensure the inclusion of diverse voices, including women from diverse communities, in the peace process and their representation in the government, national ministries and as state governors. However, women’s involvement in these institutions falls short of the 35% quota required in the R-ARCSS. In line with the WPS-related recommendations in the UNMISS strategic review and the outcomes of the latest meeting of the Security Council Informal Experts Group on WPS the Security Council should:

• Call on UNMISS to ensure the electoral process is safe, inclusive of diverse women and minorities, and in alignment with international standards; and explicitly emphasize that under its existing protection of civilians mandate, UNMISS is expected to ensure the safety and security of all voters, poll workers, candidates, and officials, as well as human rights defenders and activists.
• Call on parties to prioritize accountability through the establishment of the hybrid court alongside the Commission for Truth, Reconciliation and Healing and other transitional justice mechanisms laid out in Chapter V of the R-ARCSS and emphasize that the mechanisms must be designed and developed with women’s full, equal and meaningful participation and leadership, and be gender-responsive, inclusive, accessible and fully resourced.
• Call on UNMISS and other relevant actors to support civil society advocacy for fundamental rights – including freedom of assembly, association and speech – and to strengthen monitoring and reporting on threats and reprisals targeting women peacebuilders, human rights defenders, civil society leaders and women’s rights organizations; further emphasize the importance of creating an enabling environment that allows civil society to carry out their work safely and freely as central to sustainable peace.
• Call on the mission to ground all its efforts pertaining to prevent conflict in gender-sensitive conflict analysis accounting for community-identified root causes of conflict and violence and request that future reports mainstream gender-sensitive conflict analysis.
• Call on all authorities in South Sudan to protect and uphold human rights, including women’s rights, and address impunity for violations of such rights.