South Sudan Youth Call for completion of Pending Legislations.
By John Abit
The South Sudan National Youth Union (SSNYU) has urged lawmakers and relevant ministries to accelerate the passage and review of several youth-centered legislative bills.
Speaking during a press conference held in Juba on Wednesday evening, Thess Marial Rong Ayok, the SSNYU Secretary of Information and Public Relations, said the union had concluded a three-day youth legislation workshop at Yom Hotel under the theme: “Enhancing Youth-Led Legislative Reform in South Sudan.”
The event, organized in collaboration with Markaz Al Salam and supported by Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), brought together young people, policymakers, and representatives from four key ministries — Youth and Sports; Higher Education; Justice and Constitutional Affairs; and Gender, Child, and Social Welfare.
Youth Left Behind by Legislative Delays.
According to SSNYU, the workshop reviewed and analyzed the status of five critical bills affecting South Sudan’s youth and student population: Youth Development Policy Bill, Youth Enterprise Development Fund Bill, Women Enterprise Development Fund Bill, National Youth and Sports Council Bill, Students’ Support/Welfare Fund Bill
While the Youth Development Policy Bill has reportedly passed all consultation stages and reached its second reading in Parliament, the other four remain either in early drafting stages or have faced procedural bottlenecks.
Notably, the Students’ Support/Welfare Fund Bill which had reportedly cleared all technical consultations and sectoral reviews appears to have been misplaced or stalled in the legislative pipeline.
Concerns Over Youth Representation
Participants at the workshop raised specific concerns regarding the National Youth and Sports Council Bill. According to Ayok, the bill “was neither properly disseminated nor consulted upon” and does not reflect the true aspirations of young people or the existing sports community.
SSNYU is calling for the bill to be split, with a standalone National Youth Council Bill brought back for wider youth consultation.
“The current version under review at the Ministry of Justice appears to overhaul the current structure, vision, and mandate of the National Youth Union,” said Ayok.
