The Assembly’s theme was “Parliamentary Action for Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions" and Hon Njie said the theme lies at the heart of their collective aspirations for a better and just world.
“The theme is also consistent with how we, as parliamentarians, work in advancing Sustainable Development Goal 16 which defines comprehensibly the kind of society we all should live in,” he added.
He said further that the topic came at a time the world was witnessing one of its “worst inhumane and barbaric massacre and human rights violation of our times” in Palestine.
“Thousands of innocent women, children and civilians are being killed by the hour, religious buildings, hospitals, schools and public places being destroyed as a result of the horrific, indiscriminate and barbaric airstrike bombardments in the Gaza Strip by Israel, in total disregard of international laws and all UN Resolutions,” he stated.
He stated that not all Gaza residents are Hamas. “The people of Palestine must be allowed to live in their land as a sovereign nation and people, and in line with the two-state solution approach,” he elaborated.
“The International community and us as representatives of the people are failing in our responsibilities. While we are busy engaging in empty rhetoric, thousands continue to endure suffering and being deprived of basic necessities like food, water, electricity, basic medicines and shelter.”
He called on the world to stand resolute and take a decisive action to end the hypocrisy and politicizing of the United Nations Security Council’s veto power and act more responsibly to avert global catastrophe.
“I call on all parties in this catastrophe to respect and act in accordance with international law and avoid further killings of civilians and all previous United Nations resolutions on Palestine and Israel.”
He further called upon the Assembly to act now and pass strong resolutions against Israel and ask Israel to immediately stop the Stone Age barbarism.
He stated that access to justice should be a universal right, and not a privilege.
“The protection and promotion of human rights is a cornerstone of SDG 16,” he affirmed, saying: “It is our responsibility to advocate for the rights of all individuals, including those who are marginalized and vulnerable – No one should be left behind.
“Let us work together, across borders, to ensure that our collective efforts bring us closer to the world we envision – a world where peace, justice, and strong institutions prevail for the betterment of all humanity.”
