United
Nations resident coordinator in The Gambia says they are strongly committed in
supporting Gambia’s reform processes, such as the Security Sector Reform (SSR),
Truth Reconciliation Reparation Commission (TRRC) and National Human Rights
Commission.
Saraphine
Wakana was speaking at the Gambia Songhai Center in North Bank Region village
of Chamen last Wednesday, as the UN family in The Gambia and the Youth
Empowerment Project (YEP) commemorated UN Day on October 23 and 24.
This
year’s celebration was held in North Bank and Lower River Regions to
decentralize their work as well as to have community engagements with
communities benefiting from UN projects across the country.
The
two celebrations availed the UN family in The Gambia the opportunity to have
lunch with school children, visit feeder road rehabilitation programmes, plant
fruit trees, donate blood, provide dignity kits to create access to menstrual
hygiene information and products for adolescents as a pathway to achieving
sexual and reproductive health, donate environmental sanitation materials to
health facilities, cowpea harvesting as well as meetings with relevant
stakeholders.
The
theme of this year’s UN Day celebration was: Achieving sustainable peace
through dialogue: Our roles and responsibilities.
Madam
Wakana pointed out that implementing Security Sector Reform is not like
planting trees, adding that it will take time because if one does without
consulting and capturing all the issues around, he may miss the point.
According
to her, the SSR is important to them, noting that they will remain committed to
supporting The Gambia Government. She also said this year’s theme was chosen
considering not only the situation in The Gambia but also UN’s mandate to
support all countries in that situation.
“Some
people would think dialogue is for politicians, but rather it should start from
our families, so that when there is understanding within homes and communities
it will spread across the country. Everyone has a role to play. It is not only
the security sector, politicians or government but everyone.”
She
said The Gambia is under a transition period and UN had a lot to do to get to
where it is today, highlighting that they need to remain committed in
supporting The Gambia through its transitional process.
Aissata
De, UNDP resident representative in The Gambia said The Gambia is at a very
important cross road and it is important that they support the country’s
National Development Plan.
Saikou Kawsu Gassama, Permanent Secretary at
the Officer of the President described the move by UN to celebrate the day with
project beneficiaries as relevant and apt, noting that this will bring
accountability.
Mr.
Gassama also described providing adolescent students with dignity kits as
critical for their wellbeing, attendance and performance in school.
Lower
River Region deputy governor Kebba Darboe urged the UN Family in The Gambia to
take advantage of the enabling environment created by government and take stock
of their achievements and challenges to better serve humanity.