Countries / South Sudan / Dossier
South Sudan
A combined view of South Sudan's UN General Assembly speeches, treaty commitments, and voting record.
The narrative paragraphs below are AI-generated syntheses of the data shown — the tables and figures themselves come directly from the underlying records, not from the AI.
Compare with another country →Speech history
South Sudan's UN General Assembly speeches have evolved from the emotional gratitude and broad multilateralism of its 2011 independence address toward increasingly measured diplomatic tones paired with concrete policy reporting. Early speeches (2011–2016) emphasized reliance on international institutions and partners for conflict resolution, though with modest self-accountability framing; later addresses (2019–2024) maintained specificity on peace and development initiatives while gradually reducing emotional intensity and emphasizing calls for technical support (financial aid, sanctions relief, Security Council reform). Multilateralism scores remained relatively stable in the 60–74 range across the decade, but concreteness climbed from initial lows (38–44) to sustained highs (61–78), and emotional intensity declined sharply from the mid-40s to the low 30s, suggesting a shift toward pragmatic rather than affective diplomacy.
Treaty status
Full treaty record →South Sudan has ratified 13 of 24 tracked treaties, showing strongest commitment to human rights frameworks (all five major conventions ratified, including CAT, CEDAW, CRPD, CRC, and ICCPR) and environmental governance (ratifying Paris Agreement, UNFCCC, Desertification Convention, Montreal Protocol, and CBD). The country has notably abstained from arms control treaties (not ratifying the Arms Trade Treaty, CTBT, or Nuclear Weapon Prohibition Treaty) and from specialized environmental protocols (Basel Convention, Kigali Amendment, Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions on chemicals). South Sudan has also declined to ratify the Rome Statute or UNCLOS, suggesting caution on international justice mechanisms and maritime law obligations.
Arms control & security
- Arms Trade TreatyNo action
- Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban TreatyNo action
- Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their DestructionRatified
- Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear WeaponsNo action
Environment & climate
- Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their DisposalNo action
- Convention on Biological DiversityRatified
- Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone LayerNo action
- Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate ChangeNo action
- Minamata Convention on MercuryNo action
- Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone LayerRatified
- Paris AgreementRatified
- Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International TradeNo action
- Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic PollutantsNo action
- United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification in those Countries Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, Particularly in AfricaRatified
- United Nations Framework Convention on Climate ChangeRatified
Human rights
- Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or PunishmentRatified
- Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against WomenRatified
- Convention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesRatified
- Convention on the Rights of the ChildRatified
- International Covenant on Civil and Political RightsRatified
International justice
- Rome Statute of the International Criminal CourtNo action
Trade & governance
- United Nations Convention against CorruptionRatified
- United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized CrimeRatified
- United Nations Convention on the Law of the SeaNo action
Voting record
Full voting record →South Sudan maintains a high abstention and non-voting rate (751 abstentions or no votes of 1392 total, roughly 54%), indicating limited engagement in consensus-seeking General Assembly votes. The country has cast only 16 no votes across the decade, all on resolutions with overwhelming majorities (92–96% support), notably on Palestine-related matters (two votes against resolutions on Palestinian refugees' properties and Israeli settlements), colonial independence implementation, older persons' rights, and an environmental resolution on oil pollution. This sparse dissent pattern suggests South Sudan aligns broadly with General Assembly consensus while selectively reserving judgment on contentious geopolitical and human rights issues.
Notable dissents from consensus
Palestine refugees' properties and their revenues : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly
2016-12-06 · voted N · 96% voted yes
Oil slick on Lebanese shores : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly
2012-12-21 · voted N · 95% voted yes
Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly
2018-12-07 · voted N · 94% voted yes
Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly
2025-12-05 · voted N · 92% voted yes
Towards a comprehensive and integral international legal instrument to promote and protect the rights and dignity of older persons : resolution / adopted by the General Assembly
2012-12-20 · voted N · 92% voted yes
Human development
Full HDI record →Human Development Index: 0.388 (Low), ranked #193 globally in 2023.
Combines life expectancy, education, and income into one comparable score, 0 to 1. Source: UNDP Human Development Report 2025 — deterministic figures, not AI-generated.
2010–2023