UN Women has donated vital information and communication technology (ICT) equipment to the National Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC) to enhance civic education ahead of the 2026 elections.
Speaking during the handover ceremony at the NCRC premises, Dr. Rukaya Mohammed, UN Women’s Deputy Country Representative, stated that the equipment will assist the commission’s operations, particularly in documenting public consultation and civic education processes.
“We hand over the equipment that would enhance the operation of the commission. We believed that whatever is not documented is not done, because there will be a public consultation and civic education at various levels. And these are very important, and they need to be documented when there is a tool,” Mohammed said.
She emphasized the importance of having a constitution driven by the people, highlighting the need for women’s participation in the constitutional-making process.
“We have presented 5 laptops, 5 desktops, 50 boxes of printing papers, and 8 tons of ink. This is just the beginning of more things to come,” she added.
Meanwhile, Riang Yar Zuor, Chairperson of the NCRC, praised UN Women for their support of the constitutional-making process, noting that the ICT gadgets are valuable for civic and public consultations.
“On behalf of the commission, I would like to say that we have received and accepted the equipment. We appreciate the UN Women, and we hope that we continue together until we produce a permanent constitution for the country,” Zuor said.
He further explained that with the equipment available, a team will conduct nationwide activities in each state to facilitate civic education and public consultations.
The team will work alongside members of the secretariat, who will be responsible for recording the proceedings and gathering public opinions. These contributions may later be utilized in the constitution-making process, he added.
“This exercise required a lot of equipment, computers to be very useful because they will be used to record everything, and without them, I don’t think the exercise would produce any results that are expected. But when the computers become available, I think a lot will be achieved in that direction, and it is good for the people of South Sudan,” he added, expressing his heartfelt appreciation to the UN Women for the donation.
The National Constitutional Review Commission (NCRC) is tasked with reviewing the country’s constitution, identifying potential improvements, gaps, or areas for reform, and making recommendations for amendments or changes.
This involves extensive public consultation and civic education across all states and administrative areas of South Sudan, ensuring that the diverse voices of its citizens, including women, youth, and various ethnic and religious groups, are heard and considered in the drafting of the new supreme law.
