The event held on the theme- ‘Integrating human rights approach and gender in law enforcement’, comes on the backdrop of the country’s over two-decade repressive regime, where security personnel were used as weapons to commit all kind of atrocities. It also forms part of the outcome of the TRRC reports and a key accepted recommendation in the government White Paper, thus the need for all stakeholders to join forces to train security personnel in this crucial area.
Welcoming the gathering, Emmanuel D. Joof, chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission, on behalf of the NHRC extends sincere gratitude to the participants, saying NHRC recognised the paramount importance of ensuring that the guardian of the nation’s security are not only equipped, but also properly resourced and accorded all the necessary tools to be able to do their job effectively.
However, to effectively carry out their duties, Joof said they must be firmly grounded on the principles of human rights and rules of law.
Thus, the forum he added, represents a significant step towards achieving that goal, adding that The Gambia has made some significant gains in human rights and protecting the rules of law.
“No where is perfect and if you look where The Ganba is coming from, The Gambia has made remarkable strides in recent years towards strengthening the commitment of human rights and justice following over two decades where human rights violation where rampant in the country.”
However, he affirmed that despite these gains, the country cannot be complacent in strengthening human rights and rule of law, further urging participants to always serve as guardian and agents of change.
Priscilla Yago-Ceesay, a consultant, acknowledged the support extended by the NHRC team, saying the development of a generic and comprehensive module on human rights and humanitarian law and other issues relating to sexual and gender-based violence for the various security forces is critical.
She pointed out that it is important that those areas are reflected in the module as they are part of the day-to-day activities and that they also come on the heels of the TRRC recommendation.
She maintained that the development of the generic module and the training manuals for the Gambian security services forces contributes to a crucial step towards promoting the respect for human rights and enhancing accountability, while addressing gender-based violence in the country.
Deputising for the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Saffie Nyang, counsel, expressed delight that the country has got to this stage where their aspirations have become a reality.
She spoke about stages they had undergone ranging from the preparatory stage to where they are now, saying the event is one of the key recommendations of TRRC, which includes providing training materials and training the security sector.
She reminded the participants that human rights is a culture and something that continues not only attending the training.
She informed that at the Ministry level, a gathering of that nature sends a clear signal and reiterates government’s commitment to ensuring that TRRC recommendations are implemented.
