Highlighting its achievements and urging South Sudan to embrace peace, UNMISS celebrated the UN’s 70^th anniversary today in Juba under the theme “Strong UN. Better World”.

Addressing a gathering at UN House, Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) Ellen Margrethe Loej said the UN wanted peace in the country.

“Here in South Sudan, as we celebrate UN Day in the youngest nation in the world and the youngest member of the UN, we hope with all our hearts for peace to arise.” Ms. Loej said.  

She said the UN was working in partnership with the South Sudanese people to ensure a brighter future. “The UN Day falls at a critical time for the people of South Sudan. The peace agreement has been signed but many details are yet to be worked out.”

Stressing that the world body was committed to supporting implementation of the agreement, Ms. Loej said the two parties had created a new window of opportunity by signing it. 

“They now have a chance to correct their great mistakes and focus on the wellbeing of those who entrusted them with the leadership role, mainly the people of South Sudan,” the SRSG said.

Fostering forgiveness, reconciliation and healing would require strong commitment from the leaders, parties and general public, she added. It would also need the involvement and commitment of everyone -- the military, civil society, private sector, faith based organizations, non-governmental organizations and the media.

She said peace should be for people from all walks of life.  “When I think of peace I think of people … growing crops, working for their livelihood. I think of the children of South Sudan being able to go to school.”

The SRSG said UNMISS also remained engaged in protecting civilians, monitoring and investigating human rights abuses and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

In the first eight months of 2015, she noted that the UN had provided food assistance to nearly one million people, livelihood assistance to more than three million people and water access to two million people. Almost 1.5 million people had received health services and the UN was working to support an estimated 1.6 million IDPs with logistic, basic services, health and food support.

Dr. John Gai Yoh, Minister of Education, Science and Technology, said South Sudanese at all levels of government could say he UN had personally touched their lives.

“The story with the UN is the story of continuity -- right from the 1972 Addis Ababa Agreement in which South Sudan attained autonomy,” Mr. Yoh said.

He said the government had recognized the UN’s role over the years in protecting civilians.

“The UN … has emphasized the protection of civilians and development of the people of South Sudan,” he said. “We acknowledged that and we believe this is the right way. The UN kept its values. We will continue to support the UN on that.”

He appealed to the world body to help South Sudan in consolidating development agendas that it had committed itself to.