The steering committee, comprising of Permanent Secretaries and Executive Directors from several Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies, the National Human Rights Commission, Civil Society Organizations and UNICEF being the overarching body in charge of providing overall strategic oversight, guidance and direction for the implementation of the Country Programme.
This Country Programme (2024-2028), which aligns with the country’s Recovery Focused National Development Plan (2023 – 2027), seeks to advance child rights in The Gambia and ensure equitable and sustainable access to quality health, nutrition, water and sanitation, education, child protection and social policy. The Steering Committee will support the operationalisation of the current and future Country Programmes for children and provide overall guidance to the Technical Committee (TC) which held the Country Programme’s 2024 annual review on 15 of January 2025.
Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Pateh Jah, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Public Service, representing the Deputy Chief of Staff and Head of Department of Strategic Policy and Delivery (DSPD), highlighted the important role UNICEF plays in supporting the implementation of the country’s National Development Plan (NDP) priorities. He also stressed the crucial role the Steering Committee will play in achieving the goals of the Country Programme (2024 - 2028) for children.
“The Steering Committee (SC) provides strategic decisions and orientations for the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Country Programmes, ensuring full alignment with the National Development Plan to achieve impactful results for the population of The Gambia, especially vulnerable children and adolescents. The Steering Committee (SC) is supported by a Technical Committee (TC) which provides technical oversight expertise to the implementation of the Country Programme and by the Coordination Task Force as the secretariat,” stated Mr. Jah.
In her statement, Ms. Nafisa Binte Shafique, the UNICEF Country Representative in The Gambia, expressed her appreciation at the creation of this Steering Committee and thanked the government of The Gambia for its unwavering support and dedication to championing child rights in the country. This includes the establishment of a comprehensive oversight mechanism for the current Country Programme (2024 - 2028) and future programmes for children through its Steering Committee and Technical Committee.
“UNICEF’s mandate is centered on ensuring that every child, everywhere, can survive, grow, thrive, and fulfill their potential as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Achieving this ambitious goal requires not only the dedication of key stakeholders including government, non-governmental partners, private sector and children but also having responsive systems, tools, and resources to translate our collective vision into tangible outcomes for children and adolescent. The existence of a strong and inclusive oversight mechanism is therefore critical to ensure the effectiveness, efficiency and responsiveness of our Country Programme.” added Ms. Shafique.
