Legislators equipped on human right issues

The Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA) and the West Africa Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, organised a two-day human rights training workshop for National Assembly Members (NAM) of The Gambia.

The workshop brought together 60 Members of Parliament (MPs) and staff of the National Assembly.

In her opening remarks, the speaker of The Gambia National Assembly, Honourable Mariam Jack Denton, expressed appreciation to the organisers of the training which she described as prompt and opportune.

She pointed out that the training came at a time when there are a lot of legal developments in the country which required the Parliamentarians to have a better understanding of their roles in such matters.

The UN resident coordinator for The Gambia and the Honourary Consul of The Netherlands in The Gambia, extolled the government of The Gambia for its commitment to the promotion of human rights, and underscored the important role the National Assembly has to play in this process.

On his part, IHRDA executive director, Gaye Sowe, recalled that human rights featured among the modules of the induction workshop the National Assembly had organised for MPs in September 2017.

He commended the National Assembly for its receptiveness to issues of human rights and its willingness to respond to its role in promoting human rights in the country.

Meanwhile, Discussions held during the workshop touches on basic concepts of human rights; engagement of the National Assembly with African and international human rights mechanisms; role of Parliament in advancing human rights; promoting gender equality; matters of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, as well as transitional justice.

The project is funded by the Dutch Embassy in Dakar, Senegal.