NCRC says public views will form basis of S. Sudan’s permanent constitution

The National Constitutional Review Commission says the views of South Sudanese collected through public consultations will form the basis of the country’s first draft permanent constitution.

NCRC Chair Dr. Riang Yer Zuor made the remarks on Wednesday during a two-day civic education and public consultation workshop for government institutions and independent bodies in Juba.

Dr. Zuor said the constitution-making process is required to be “led and owned by the people of South Sudan,” in line with the revitalized peace agreement and the Constitution-Making Process Act of 2022.

He said public consultation must take place before the drafting of the first constitutional text to ensure that citizens, rather than only constitutional experts, shape the document.

“The views of the people of South Sudan collected in this manner shall form the basis for the drafting of the first draft constitutional text. This brings the people to the forefront in this process.”

Dr. Zuor said the process is designed to prevent a situation where experts draft a constitution and later present it to the public for approval.

“The people must be the first to contribute their views before the draft could be made. So it does not work this way, especially in this process.”

The NCRC launched its civic education and public consultation campaign in Juba on March 27, 2025. According to Dr. Zuor, logistical challenges delayed the nationwide rollout, but the Commission eventually completed consultations across all 10 states and three administrative areas by the end of April this year.

He said consultations with national institutions began in Juba on June 15 and have included the judiciary, civil society organizations, media houses, the security sector, internally displaced people and the transitional national legislature.

The latest consultation is targeting members of the government executive and independent institutions and will continue for two days.

Dr. Zuor urged government officials to approach the consultations as citizens rather than limiting their contributions to issues affecting their respective institutions.

“Your submissions should not be limited only to a few constitutional issues that are related to your institutions, as you are part of the citizenry, regardless of your current positions in the government.”

The NCRC says the constitution-making process will proceed through three stages, beginning with civic education and public consultations, followed by the production of a first draft, a second and final draft, and ultimately the permanent Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan.

The consultations are part of efforts to ensure broad public participation in drafting the permanent constitution as South Sudan moves toward elections.