10-December-2024

Sudan Partnership Conference: Joint Press Release By The Co-Hosts

Sudan Partnership Conference: Joint Press Release By The Co-Hosts

BERLIN, GERMANY (Sudanow) - Over 50 countries and international organisations have attended the High-Level Sudan Partnership Conference on Thursday pledging over 1.8 billion US-Dollar to support Sudan’s transitional government.

Following is the final communique of the conference:


The  high-level  Sudan  Partnership Conference was held  in Berlin in support of the Transitional Government which  followed the remarkable women, youth and men led popular change in the Sudan.Delegations  expressed  their  full  political  support  for the Sudan’s transition and for itsTransitional Government  led  by  Prime  Minister Abdalla Hamdok in  its  efforts to  achieve  the long-held aspirations of the people for a free, peaceful, just, inclusive and prosperous Sudan.The Conference  was  co-hosted  by  the  Federal  Republic  of  Germany,  the  European  Union,  the United Nations and the Republic of the Sudan and was attended by delegations from 40 countries and 15 international  organisations and  agencies.

The Conference  was  opened  by H.E.  Abdalla Hamdok,  Prime  Minister  of  the  Republic  of  the  Sudan, H.E. Heiko  Maas,  Minister  for  Foreign Affairs  of the  Federal  Republic  of Germany, H.E.  António  Guterres,  Secretary-General  of  the United Nations, and H.E. Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs  and  Security  Policy. A  second  panel  featured  H.E.  Ibrahim  el-Badawi,  Minister  of Finance  of  the  Republic  of  the  Sudan,  H.E.  Lena  el-Sheikh  Mahjoub,  Minister  of  Labour  and Social  Development, H.E.  David  Malpass,  President  of  the  World  Bank  Group,  H.E.  Kristalina Georgieva, Managing  Director of the  International Monetary  Fund, and  Dr Akinwumi Adesina, President of the African Development Bank.

The Conference marked another important step in the international support for the Sudan, which previously included the High-level Event on Sudan in the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York in 2019 and the High-Level Round table on humanitarian assistance held in London in January 2020, among others.

A Political Partnership:

The Conference opened a new chapter in the cooperation between the Sudan  and the international community. It strengthened the political partnership,backed by pledges of financial support, for the Sudan’s democratic and economic transition, building on the Mutual Partnership Framework adopted at the Paris Friends of Sudan meeting on 7 May 2020. Mutual accountability and transparency will be the guiding  principle in the relationship between the Sudan and the international community in respect of the common commitment to a prosperous and democratic Sudan and to inclusive and sustainable development in the Sudan.The international community and  the Transitional Government  of the Sudan  affirmed  that  financial  and  political  support for the  transition  was  firmly  predicated  on  continued  progress  towards  the establishment  of  a democratic  and civilian-led political  system  in the Sudan.  A  prosperous  and  democratic  Sudan will serve as an important pillar of stability in the region.

The Sudan’s Constitutional  Declaration  lays  out  a wide  range  of  objectives  envisaged for the Sudan’s transition period. Besides alleviating the economic suffering of the Sudan’s people, it envisages far-reaching legal and  political reforms. The  key  priorities of  the  Declaration include comprehensive peace, establishing a Transitional Legislative Council inclusive of women, young people and  other  marginalised  populations, strengthening gender  equality  and  human  rights, boosting  the  role  of  young  people,  ensuring  accountability  for  past  abuses, strengthening accountable  governance  and rebuilding public  institutions,  and  drafting  a  new  constitution  and holding elections. A   commitment   to   transparency   with   regard   to   public   revenues   and expenditures underpins the economic reform programme.

The Conference paid  tribute  to initial progress made towards meeting  the  benchmarks  of  the Constitutional Declaration. The Transitional Government of the Sudan has prioritised economic reforms from  the  outset,  as  well  as stolen  asset  recovery  both  domestically  and  internationally. Legislation discriminating against women has been repealed as part of a wider effort to advance gender  equality in the Sudan. Steps  are  being  taken  to  hold perpetrators  of past  atrocities  to account. Peace  talks were  initiated  as  a  priority  and several agreements  have  been  signed  in preparation for the conclusion of a comprehensive agreement.

Economic support:

This Conference  acknowledged  the  urgent  need  to  support the Sudan as  it  addresses its  acute economic crisis which has been exacerbated by the additional challenges brought by the COVID-19  pandemic.  Delegations  welcomed  the  economic  reforms  announced  by the Transitional Government  of the Sudan and  pledged  a  package  of  financial support  totalling over  1.8  billion US-Dollars, including for social protection, development, COVID-19 response, and humanitarian aid. Delegations further committed to turning their respective pledges into effective contributions without delay.

These funding contributions will be used to support the Transitional Government in meeting its priorities and to launch  a  formal  process  of  political  support  for  the  democratic,  peace,  and economic  agenda  of the Sudan’s Transitional Government. These  priorities  notably  include but are not limited to the establishment of the Sudan Family Support Programme for Social  Impact Mitigation (SFSP), providing  cash  transfers  to the most  vulnerable  among  the Sudanese population impacted  by  the current economic crisis, and  the  necessary  economic  reforms  to  be implemented in  near  future. Delegations  underlined  that the Sudan  should  undertake  further economic and social reforms including improving transparency, inclusiveness and accountability to unblock further funding.

Delegations called  for the  Sudan and  its  partners  to  work  together  to  address  impediments  that prevent the Sudan from fully reintegrating  into  the  international  economic  community. They
expressed  strong  support  for  the  recent  efforts  by  the  international financial  institutions  in  their forward-leaning   approach   to   the   unique   challenges   confronting the   Sudan.   Delegations welcomed in particular the World Bank’s leadership and willingness to explore a multi-pronged approach  that  would  include  trust  fund  support  for  an  emergency  COVID-19  response  in the Sudan,  approval  of  the  new  Sudan  Transition  and  Recovery  Support  (STARS)  Multi-Donor Trust  Fund  to  support  the  reform  agenda  and  SFSP,  provision  of  IDA  Pre-Arrears  Clearance Grants  to  accompany  fresh  financial  flows  from  a  global  coalition  of  donors  in  support  of  the Sudan  Family  Support  Programme,  and  options  for supporting  progress  along  the  HIPC  path. They  congratulated  the  International  Monetary  Fund  and  the  Transitional  Government  of the Sudan on  the  staff-level  agreement  reached  to  launch  an  ambitious  Staff  Monitored  Program. The Staff-Monitored Program will support the implementation of the authorities’ comprehensive reform  package  which  focuses  on  stabilizing  the  economy,  strengthening  the  social  safety  net, improving  governance and the business environment, and will facilitate  progress towards HIPC debt relief. Delegations supported working on a pathway to eventual debt relief (HIPC process) and  also  recognized  the  African Development Bank’s efforts in supporting Sudan ascend this process. France reiterated its  offer  to  host  a  high-level  conference  launching  the  debt  relief process  and  allowing  the  full  reintegration  of the  Sudan into  the  international  economic community.

Peace process:

Recognising the link between peace and development, delegations expressed their strong support for the  Juba  peace  process  and called for all  parties  to engage  in  the  negotiationsas  the sole means through which the root causes of conflict can be addressed and a full and comprehensive peace  achieved. Several  participants  referred  to  the  need  for  the peace  process  to  be  inclusive. Others  stated  that  transitional  justice  should be  part  of  the  peace  process, while perpetrators  of criminal acts should be  held accountable through due legal process. Reconciliation is important at all levels and should  be supported. Participants acknowledged the role of the Government of South Sudan in support of the peace negotiations, as well as the joint efforts of IGAD, AU, UN, neighbouring countries   and   partners   to   encourage   the   parties   to   reach   a   comprehensive agreement. International partners expressed their support to assist the Sudan in assessing ongoing needs as part and parcel of successful implementation of the peace agreement.

The way forward:

Delegations/Participants committed  to  remaining  engaged in accompanying and  assisting the people  of the  Sudan through  the  political  transition  and  their economic  reform  process. To  this end,  high-level  conferences  will  be  held  regularly to  take  stock  of  the  partnership  and  progress achieved in the Sudan’s ongoing transition. Participants agreed  to hold the next Partnership  Conference in  early  2021,  in close cooperation with the Government of the Sudan and the Friends of Sudan group. In addition, the Government of the Sudan and delegations decided to establish a follow-up mechanism (Compact) lead by the Transitional Government of the Sudan as an inclusive process in the Sudan:


The Delegations of:

Germany

Sudan

European Union

United Nations

Belgium

Canada

China

Croatia

Czechia

Denmark

Egypt

Estonia

Ethiopia

Finland

France

Greece

Hungary

Ireland

Italy

Japan

Kuwait

Lithuania

Malta

The Netherlands

Norway

Poland

Portugal

Qatar

The Republic of Korea

Romania

The Russian Federation

Saudi Arabia

Slovenia

South Africa

South Sudan

Sweden

Spain

Switzerland

Turkey

The United Arab Emirates

The United Kingdom

The United States

African Development Bank

African Union

Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development

Intergovernmental Authority on Development

International Monetary Fund

Islamic Development Bank

League of Arab States

OCHA

UNICEF

United Nations Development Programme

United Nations Economic Commission for Africa

The World Bank Group

World Food Programme

 

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Sudanow is the longest serving English speaking magazine in the Sudan. It is chartarized by its high quality professional journalism, focusing on political, social, economic, cultural and sport developments in the Sudan. Sudanow provides in depth analysis of these developments by academia, highly ...

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