National
Assembly Members yesterday adopted the report of The Gambia’s delegation to the
41st Session of the African Caribbean Parliament (ACP) Parliamentary Assembly
and Inter-Sessional Meetings held in Brussels, Belgium, from 15 to 18 March
2016.
Tabling
the report before lawmakers, Hon. Alhagie Sillah, National Assembly Member for
Banjul North and head of the delegation, said “these are meetings held in
Brussels twice a year”.
Essentially,
he stated, it is the meetings of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly (JPA) Bureau
and Committees to prepare for the subsequent plenary sessions of the JPA.
He
said the impact of the work of the Joint Parliamentary Assembly goes well
beyond economic considerations, and embraces the fundamental objectives of the
development of mankind and the establishment of peaceful relations between the
nations of the world.
“The
ACP-EU Joint Assembly is a democratic, parliamentary institution which aims to
promote and defend democratic processes in order to guarantee the right of each
other’s people to choose its own development objectives and how to attain
them.”
The
session was for the first time, presided over by the new president, Hon. Netty
Baldeh of The Gambia, who thanked the Assembly for having given him the
opportunity to lead the ACP PA, and the West African Region, for nominating
him.
Hon.
Sillah further said the president informed the Assembly of the escalation and
spread of terrorist attacks in ACP countries, which he said was a worrying
trend.
He
said the ACP PA president reported that on 13 March 2016, terrorist attacked a
hotel in the Resort Town of Grand Bassam, Cote d’Ivoire, killing 21 people and
wounded others.
The
president also stated that the escalation of terrorist activities is a serious
concern everywhere in the world, and should be condemned unreservedly.
He
said terrorism posed a threat to social, political and economic stability, and
undermined all other developmental efforts, requiring international solidarity
to effectively combat it.
Kalifa
Jammeh, National Assembly Member for Bakau, who seconded it, said that
terrorism in the pacific countries is a worrying trend and those countries have
suffered so much in the hands of terrorist groups.
“I
condemn this act whereas so much innocent lives have been lost and I,
therefore, concur with the mover of this motion,” he said.
The
National Assembly Member for Upper Saloum, Hon. Sainey Mbye, also commended the
mover of the motion and head of the ACP delegation for “a job well done”.
