International Development Law Organization

Collection of papers on human rights in South Sudan

IDLO and the University of Juba’s College of Law (COL) have published a collection of papers titled ‘Towards a People Centered Human Rights State in South Sudan’, initially presented by African academics and experts at a symposium held in May 2016 in Juba, South Sudan.

Key topics discussed in the papers include the roles of and overlap between formal and informal law, the role of the constitution, the role of civil society, the benefits of paralegalism to enhance access to justice, ensuring equal protection of genders and minorities, and the challenges of transitioning legal and justice systems in post-conflict situations.

The papers are organized in three parts. The first two papers focus on a people-centered approach to human rights in South Sudan and what implementing such an approach means in practice. The second part of the collection consists of three papers that focus on transitioning justice systems after conflict and investigate topics that characterize the context of justice and human rights in South Sudan. The last part, comprising three further papers, focuses on the role of civil society and human rights promotion.

Although diverse in subject and approach and sometimes presenting opposing viewpoints, there are a number of connections between the papers. In order to progress in human rights promotion and transitional justice continued attention and debate on these topics is crucial. This collection of papers aims to further stimulate this debate, and readers are invited to actively participate and contribute.

Collection of papers available for download below.