Juba, South Sudan – The National Election Commission (NEC) has successfully concluded the induction training for the State High Election Committees (SHECs), marking a significant achievement in preparation for the upcoming national elections scheduled for December 22, 2026. The workshop, held from October 8-11, 2024, in Juba, was organized with the support of the UN-Integrated Electoral Assistance Team (UN-IEAT) and aimed at equipping the SHEC members with the skills and knowledge necessary to ensure a smooth electoral process.

The training is a culmination of months of meticulous planning and consultations that began earlier this year. In April and May, NEC officials visited all ten states to engage with stakeholders and discuss the establishment of the SHECs. The committees, comprising 50 members, were officially announced on June 17, 2024, by NEC Chair Prof. Abednego Akok Kachuol, and took their oath of office on July 11, 2024.

The induction workshop covered a comprehensive curriculum that included electoral laws, ethical standards, and operational procedures for managing elections. Participants were also trained on logistical coordination, stakeholder engagement, and conflict resolution strategies to handle potential challenges during the electoral period. The NEC, along with the UN-IEAT, emphasized the importance of transparency, integrity, and inclusiveness in the electoral process.

Speaking at the closing ceremony, Prof. Abednego Akok Kachuol commended the commitment and dedication of the SHEC members. “The completion of this training marks a critical milestone in our journey toward a fair and credible election in 2026. With this induction, our State High Election Committees are well-prepared to uphold democratic values and oversee the electoral process effectively,” he stated.

Participants expressed their readiness to apply the training in their respective states, where their immediate focus will be refurbishing and setting up local offices to facilitate election-related activities. The NEC and the UN-IEAT will continue to provide technical support and monitoring as the SHECs carry out their mandate in the lead-up to the 2026 elections.

The successful completion of this induction training is a promising step toward strengthening South Sudan’s democratic framework, as the country gears up for its national elections. The NEC’s proactive measures, supported by international partners, underscore a commitment to enhancing the electoral process and ensuring that the voices of the South Sudanese people are heard.

The newly appointed members of all ten State High Election Committees in South Sudan met in Juba to strengthen their knowledge on the principles of electoral administration with the support of the UN Integrated Electoral Assistance Team (UNMISS and UNDP).

The training utilized BRIDGE (Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections), a comprehensive capacity development curriculum for election management bodies worldwide. This training is one of many capacity building programmes planned to support South Sudan’s electoral process.

This foundational BRIDGE training on Electoral Administration was launched on 1 October and will continue through 17 October, with the participation of the National Elections Commission, all State High Election Committees, and representatives of civil society organizations.

Extended Introduction to Electoral Administration (October 1^st to 04^th and October 14^th  to 17^th)

Between 22 April and 28 June 2024, UN IEAT conducted 26 BRIDGE (Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections) training workshops in Juba, all ten states and Pibor Administrative Area. The workshops were delivered by 13 accredited international facilitators to members of the National Election Commission, civil society, media, and UN IEAT staff. The training workshops covered a diverse range of electoral topics, including management (Building Excellence in Elections); election standards, electoral cycle, and electoral stakeholders (Introduction to Election Administration); election operations; and voter and civic education; voter rights for persons with disabilities, youth and women (Access to Electoral Processes); and training methods for election stakeholders (Train the Facilitator).  

This series of trainings was the largest roll out of BRIDGE in its 25-year history as the leading curriculum for training electoral stakeholders. In total, 679 participants were trained (60% male; 40% female). Nearly half of the participants were from civil society (48%), while others came from the National Election Commission (NEC) (27%), Government authorities (7%), Media (2%), and United Nations (15%).  

Following the swearing in of High Committee at a state-level (SHEC)  the NEC will partner with UN-IEAT to conduct an Introduction to Election Administration module from the BRIDGE curriculum. This will be modified to target election workers, with an emphasis on boundary delimitation, voter registration, civic and voter education, candidate nomination, and election security. The four-day module will be run three times with 25-30 participants per session to accommodate all SHEC members and any new NEC members. 

Schedule 

After the completion of BRIDGE training, all SHEC members will be equipped to undergo the first of a series of operational technical trainings. When there is clarity on the modality and regulations for voter registration, UN IEAT and NEC can proceed with an operational training for voter registration and a voter and civic education campaign.  

A delegation from the National Election Commission (NEC) have concluded a one-week benchmarking tour and peer exchange forum with Independent Elections and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of Kenya as part of their preparations for elections scheduled for 22nd December 2024.

The forum was opened by Arthur Osiya, the Principal Administrative Secretary Kenya’s Office of the President. Mr. Osiya underlined that an election is a matter of life and death and therefore EMBs should know that in delivering their mandate, they carry peoples’ ambitions, careers and lives. It is important for NEC to undertake its mandate and make South Sudan better after elections.

“Election officials from South Sudan should stick together by unity of purpose and have commitment to their country and not candidates. The weight you carry on your shoulders is enormous. Be firm and fair to ensure continuity of South Sudan,” said Osiya

The IEBC’s Secretary/CEO Marjan H. Marjan, said that Kenya continued to receive delegations from across the world, which is an endorsement of Kenya’s free, fair and transparent election processes.

“This peer exchange is meant to promote learning between Kenya and South Sudan EMBs. By the end of the exercise, Kenya and South Sudan EMBs will carry plates full of lessons back to our offices for adoption and implementation,” said Marjan.

Mr. Marjan observed that every successful venture must start with a well thought out plan. Elections planning in young democracies, especially in Africa, is a logistical nightmare. He advised that NEC must plan. Invest in the planning process every step of the upcoming election.

NEC’s Chief Electoral Officer, Honorable Mac Maika Deng, expressed his gratitude to the IEBC, Kenya School of Government (KSG) and Government of Kenya for hosting the delegation.

“We do not take for granted the hospitality and agreement by IEBC to meet and train our team on conducting elections successfully. Our NEC team was reconstituted in November 2023 and took oath of office in January 2024. Training is our top priority,” said the Honorable CEO.

Between 22 April and 28 June 2024, the United Nations Integrated Electoral Assistance Team (IEAT) implemented a comprehensive training program in South Sudan utilizing an international election training curriculum, Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Election (BRIDGE). BRIDGE is an international election training curriculum developed by five global partners: the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC); UNDP; UN DPPA; International IDEA; and IFES. In total, 26 BRIDGE training events were held: Introduction to Electoral Administration (3 days); Building Institutional Excellence in Elections (5 days); Operational Planning; Train the Facilitators (10 days) ; Civic and Voter Education (4 days); and Access to Electoral Processes (3 days).

This training program was the largest BRIDGE training program in its 25-year history as the pre-eminent global curriculum for training election stakeholders. BRIDGE was welcomed and positively evaluated by the participants. The trainings provided an opportunity for electoral stakeholders to meet and discuss various electoral thematic areas within a broader electoral-cycle approach. The program strengthened the capacity and knowledge of the newly re-constituted National Election Commission (NEC) and newly recruited staff. Training included a range of stakeholders, including youth organizations, women organizations, disability persons organizations and faith-based organizations. Events were held across the country in all ten (10) states of South Sudan and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area.

A total of 679 participants (60% male, 40% female) were trained in different BRIDGE modules. Nearly half of the participants (48%) were from civil society organizations, followed by representatives of National Election Commission (18%), State High Election Committees (9%), State-level government authorities (7%), Media (2%), and United Nations (15%).

In addition to providing vital foundational training to 679 participants, the program also created a pool of 19 trained facilitators from the NEC, civil society, and UN IEAT national staff, with skills to develop and implement training programs, and potential to become fully accredited BRIDGE facilitators in the future. Three national facilitators were provided the opportunity to facilitate BRIDGE training and one received workshop level accreditation. The trainings increased awareness among the stakeholders on strategies for inclusion of women, youth, persons with disabilities, internally displaced persons and refugees in electoral process. The program enhanced understanding among stakeholders on delivery of civic and voter education programs and messages. Electoral officials, civil society organizations and other stakeholders expressed the need for continued training.

June 25, 2024

The National Elections Commission (NEC), in cooperation with the UN-IEAT, conducted a series of workshops to review key elements of voter registration. These workshops took place between June 3rd and 5th, with a follow-up on June 24th, 2024.

Objectives

The workshops aimed to:

1. Discuss the country context and specific challenges and opportunities related to designing a voter registration process.
2. Review key elements of a voter registration process.
3. Identify a way forward for NEC’s preparations for voter registration.

Participants

The events were attended by 34 participants, including Commissioners, Secretariat Members, and UN-IEAT counterparts.

Outcomes

The trainings resulted in:

1. Raised awareness of existing challenges, opportunities, and decisions required, both political and technical.
2. Increased awareness of the sequencing of activities required for planning and implementing voter registration.
3. Enhanced understanding of the existing legal framework for elections, specifically voter registration, and the different operational steps of the process.
4. Greater awareness of the different options available for voter registration.
5. Improved knowledge of the timeframes for planning and implementing a voter registration process.
6. Identification of next steps required for planning voter registration within the broader context of setting up the Commission and planning for elections.

Juba, 21 May 2024

The NEC, with the support of the UN Integrated Electoral Assistance Team (IEAT), conducted an internal workshop on legal drafting. The purpose of the workshop was to initiate the process of deliberations on the secondary legislation that the NEC shall adopt, as mandated by the National Elections Act 2012 (as amended), in order to supplement specific areas of the electoral legal framework. NEC members as well as members of the secretariat participated in this workshop, that set the pace for the regulations to be adopted, the consultation with external stakeholders such as political parties and civil society regarding specific regulations and the way forward.