Submission to the Fourth Cycle of the UPR on South Sudan
Submitted jointly with the Survivors Network South Sudan (SUNS), our submission on South Sudan highlights that conflict‑related sexual violence (CRSV) remains rampant and largely unpunished, that the country’s narrow legal definition of rape fails to meet international standards, and that key commitments—such as the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, the anti‑GBV and Family Law Bills, and the promised transitional justice mechanisms (the Commission on Truth, Reconciliation and Healing (CTRH), the Compensation and Reparation Authority ( CRA) and the Hybrid Court of South Sudan (HC-SS))—are still not operational. It calls for amending the Penal Code to adopt a consent‑based definition of rape that, amongst other lacunas, criminalises marital rape.
The submission highlights how South Sudan’s hybrid legal system, where customary and statutory law sit unaligned side by side, create what we describe as a “postcode lottery” for the survivors seeking justice. Despite ratifying the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and developing a National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security, implementation remains stalled. Children born of CRSV continue to face discrimination in birth registration, access to services, and social stigma. The submission also raises concerns over the recent reduction of UNMISS’ troop ceiling which risks weakening the protection of civilians and human rights monitoring when it is needed most. Urgent reforms are essential to bring South Sudan’s laws and practices into line with CEDAW and other international obligations, end impunity, and deliver justice and support to survivors.
