Members of the National Assembly Thursday considered and ratified the Security Cooperation Agreement between the Governments of The Gambia and Turkey.
Tabling the motion before deputies, Hon. Ousman Sonko, Minister of Interior, said the Governments of The Gambia and Turkey desired to enhance bilateral cooperation to strengthen and develop friendly relations between the two to promote welfare and stability in a peaceful atmosphere in both states in the framework of the principles of mutual respect of the sovereignty, equality and interest of both parties.
He said the cooperation is also concerned about the increase of the acts of international terrorism and international organized crime and recognizing the need to develop cooperation on technical assistance, training and equipment.
Minister Sonko said further that in accordance with the principle of protecting their citizens and other persons in their countries, efficiently from acts of terrorism and other criminal acts, there was need to consider national legislation and international obligations of both parties, “taking into consideration the basic principle defined in the United Nations Charter, as well as the protection of human rights”.
He also mentioned respecting the principle of sovereignty and equality of states and wishing to further strengthen the friendly relations between both parties.
According to the Interior Minister, the parties shall cooperate in conformity with their national legislation in force and the international treaties to which they are both parties in fighting against transboundary crime, in particular against crimes related to terrorism, organized crime, smuggling of migrants, trafficking in human beings, narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances and their precursors.
He said the parties shall cooperate in the framework of their means in order to prevent, suppress and conduct investigation into crime, including the following crimes; trans-boundary organized crimes, including money laundering, cyber crimes, smuggling of cultural and natural properties, Illicit production of and trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and their precursors.
He told deputies that the parties agreed that the information and personal data transmitted under this agreement shall be used exclusively for the purposes envisaged by it, while representing the human rights of individuals in accordance with relevant domestic legislation and rights treaties to which they are parties.
He said personal data, particularly information exchanged between the parties, shall be in conformity with the party’s domestic law on data and human rights treaties to which they are parties.
