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Office of the Chairman,
Khartoum

For Immediate Release
6 January 2009

PRESS RELEASE
Statement of the Chair of the Assessment and Evaluation Commission on behalf of the CPA Commission Chairs

On the eve of the anniversary of the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement on 9 January 2005, we celebrate the fact that the CPA has brought about a permanent ceasefire, institutions of government which have made possible power and wealth sharing, and four years of peace to the people of the north and south in Sudan. The CPA is a historic achievement, one which must be defended and fully implemented as we enter the final two and a half years of the interim period.

We recognize that 2009 and 2010 are decisive years for the CPA. It is during this time that the Sudanese people will make transformative decisions regarding the future of Sudan including through national elections and by preparing for the self-determination referendum in the South. To ensure that implementation of this demanding phase of the Agreement proceeds as specified, all CPA executing bodies must focus on their obligations under the Agreement with a renewed sense of urgency. As Chairs of CPA Commissions, we take this opportunity to recommit to the full and wholehearted implementation of our respective mandates under the Agreement.

And as another CPA anniversary approaches, we note that while some of the CPA Commissions are well resourced and a number have completed a significant part of their work, others were established belatedly or have yet to be founded, and many have very limited resources at their disposal. We take this opportunity to thank the Government of National Unity, the CPA partners and the international community for their support to date and to stress the vital importance of their reinforcing that support through the remainder of the interim period. The time ahead will be crucial for the accomplishment of the objectives of the CPA, and will require continued cooperation between them and all of the institutions established under the Agreement in fulfilling the tasks set out for them in the service of peace.

End of statement