Getting it Right from the Start - Oxfam New Zealand

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4 Ensure an equitable distribution ofassistanceThe Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development‟sPrinciples for Good International Engagement in Fragile States andSituations (‘Fragile States Principles’) recognise the need to „avoidpockets of exclusion‟ and „aid orphans‟ – „states [or geographicalregions within a country] where … few international actors are engagedand aid volumes are low.‟ 23Throughout the CPA interim period, much of the focus of developmentin South Sudan has been in Juba, and to a lesser extent, the ten statecapitals. As a result, today there is significant and growing inequality:between Juba and the rest of the country; between urban and ruralareas; within urban areas (such as between squatter areas andwealthier neighbourhoods); and between and within the states. InEastern Equatoria, for example, Magwi county receives considerableinternational support, in part because the local leadership is welleducated and adept at advocating for support; while the counties ofLopa/Lafon and Kopoeta North, with comparable needs but harder toreach, receive little. 24 Such an approach can lead to increasedmarginalisation, often of the poorest and most vulnerable, and risksreinforcing historical grievances. 25The issue is exacerbated by the GoSS‟s own mechanism for thedistribution of wealth. The Transitional Constitution of the Republic ofSouth Sudan calls for an equitable distribution among the SouthernSudanese states and local governments 26 – but because of theunreliability of population data, funds allocated for state and countycapital expenditure („block transfers‟) are split equally (not equitably)between each of the states and then again between the counties. ThusJonglei, for example, gets roughly a third as much per capita asWestern Bahr el Gazal, while having to provide for a food insecurepopulation nearly six times as large. 27 Such an approach runs counterto the development model envisaged not only in the TransitionalConstitution but also by the CPA, which recognised the „historicalinjustices and inequality in development between the different regionsof the Sudan‟, and called for wealth to be shared without discriminationon any grounds. 28Recommendations• Ensure that international assistance is appropriately targeted so as topromote equitable social and economic development. In determininggeographic focus areas, seek to avoid unintentional exclusionaryeffects – such as a disproportionate focus on easily accessible areas,or a focus on states or counties with strong leadership or betterinfrastructure. This requires substantially improved donorcoordination (including joint assessment and monitoring), as well as14
frequent travel outside the capital for monitoring and assessmentpurposes. The GoSS should also be supported to develop its owncoordination capacity – for example through programs such as theUNDP‟s Local Government Recovery Program.• Support the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MoFEP) todevelop a system for a more equitable (and transparent) distributionof wealth between and within the states. At a minimum, theallocation of block transfers to the counties should take into accountcounty populations, together with other criteria such as povertylevels, the availability of services and population density. Donorsshould ensure that in the lead up to the next census, the SouthSudan Centre for Census, Statistics and Evaluation is supported toprovide the government with „up-to-date and accurate informationwith which to plan the efficient and equitable allocation of publicresources‟ 29 – as envisaged in the SSDP.15
Page 1: Joint Briefing Paper 06 September 2
Page 4 and 5: Recommendations1. Balance developme
Page 6 and 7: IntroductionOn 9 July, millions of
Page 8 and 9: esponding to a worst case scenario
Page 10 and 11: persons displaced. All this took pl
Page 12 and 13: anecdotal evidence suggests that in
Page 16 and 17: 5 Prioritise the most vulnerable an
Page 18 and 19: • Targeting strategies must be ba
Page 20 and 21: 6 Support pro-poor, sustainablelive
Page 22 and 23: interventions must support, not exc
Page 24 and 25: ‘There’s a school, but thereare
Page 26 and 27: 8 Allow sufficient time for transit
Page 28 and 29: 9 Provide timely, predictable funds
Page 30 and 31: pooled funds managed by private con
Page 32 and 33: comes up. We should have a good fiv
Page 34 and 35: ConclusionFollowing substantial sum
Page 36 and 37: 1516171819sufficient farming commun
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