Josephine Joseph Lagu, Vice President of South Sudan, said that South Sudan is the youngest country in the world, and the 193rd member of the United Nations.  Marked by civil war after its independence, the conflict was resolved by a 2018 agreement and a coalition Government comprised of the warring parties and others was established.  Many South Sudanese have returned from the diaspora, and the country is set to hold its first democratic elections in 2026.  South Sudan is also disproportionately affected by climate change relative to its emissions, she continued, citing droughts, floods and mass displacement.

“The Paris agreements and subsequent COP summits made commitments which must be honoured,” she stressed, also calling for predictable climate financing to strengthen resilience.  South Sudan has committed to planting 100 million trees by 2030 and expand renewable energies and water infrastructure.  Despite the young country inheriting a land with minimal infrastructure, health care and security, the Government is guided by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  “Our policy is:  ‘Let us produce what we eat’”, she said highlighting that some States have become food self-sufficient, which also reduces poverty.

However, “to achieve the SDGs, we must shift from commitments to action,” she stressed, calling for fair trade, debt cancellation and international financial architecture reform — as well as the lifting of sanctions and the arms embargo on her country.  On peace and security, she said that South Sudan has opened its doors to those fleeing conflict Sudan, even providing them with plots of land to tend, thus integrating them into local communities.  Her country will work with its northern neighbour to resolve border disputes in line with the 2005 peace agreement, she added, pressing for the international community’s support during South Sudan’s continued transformation into a stable and secure member of the international community.