The Foundation provides training on Parliament’s Conduct of Business Regulations
On 20 and 21 September 2021, the Research Fellows of the Max Planck Foundation successfully delivered a workshop for members of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly (TNLA) in Juba, South Sudan. The two-day workshop titled, “Constitutional Foundations on the Role of Parliament”, was the first workshop conducted for the TNLA within the framework of the European Union-funded project, “Strengthening the Rule of Law in South Sudan”.
The Speaker of the TNLA, the Right Honourable Jemma Nunu Kumba, officially opened the workshop on 20 September. Opening remarks were also made by the European Union Ambassador to South Sudan, HE Christian Bader, and one of the Foundation’s Managing Directors and Head of Sub-Saharan Africa Projects. Also present at the ceremony were the First Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Hon. Nathaniel Oyet and the Second Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Hon. Parmena Awerial Aluong.
The speakers at the opening ceremony underscored the importance of the workshop for the TNLA especially in light of its prominent role in enacting legislation to support the full realization of the 2018 peace agreement. The speakers also emphasized the importance of the workshop in equipping parliamentarians with the necessary skills to enable them effectively discharge their mandate.
The workshop comprised content-based sessions and a final session presented by a seasoned parliamentarian. The content-based sessions covered topics including an introduction to the legislative branch of government, the institutional design of Parliament, the substantive powers of the legislature, and the Assembly’s general and procedural regulations. The final session was delivered by, Hon. Gatwech Lam Puoch who shared practical lessons with the new parliamentarians based on his experience as a legislator in South Sudan. The First Deputy Speaker also presented on the amendments to the Transitional Constitution of South Sudan since 2011.
The workshop was officially closed by the First Deputy Speaker of the TNLA, Hon. Nathaniel Oyet who expressed the TNLA’s gratitude to the Foundation and to the European Union for their support in ensuring a successful delivery of the workshop.