Armand GNAhore made this remark at the official opening of a day’s forum dubbed -‘End of year review of UNICEF -Gambia government country programmed for children 2024-2028’, held recently at Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference in Bijio.
The event, which attracted participants from all sectors, yet again demonstrated UNICEF’s continuous quest to prioritise evidence –based interventions, advocate for increased investments in children and strengthen collaboration with all stakeholders to ensure that every child in The Gambia can realise their full potential.
Gnahore expressed appreciation to the Government of The Gambia, civil society organisations, and all their partners for their tireless efforts and unwavering commitment to advancing the rights and well being of children and women in The Gambia.
The review, he said marks a critical moment to celebrate achievements, assess challenges, and renew their collective commitment to deliver impactful results for the children and families they serve.
He recalled that over the past year, they have witnessed significant progress across key areas, including improved access to social services, strengthened systems, expanded service delivery mechanisms to reach the most vulnerable.
These achievements, he added, reflect not only their strengthened partnership, but also the alignment of their efforts with The Gambia’s development priorities as outlined in the National Development Plan 2023-2027 and global commitments, including the Sustainable Development Goals.
‘At the same time, today, discussions have highlighted the pressing challenges that persist- rising inequalities, complex nature of child poverty, climate vulnerabilities, and the need for greater investments in critical sectors such as education, health, nutrition, water and sanitation. These challenges remind us that our work is far from over. ‘
To this end, he advised participants to build on the momentum of this year’s successes and work together, with renewed energy and determination, to address the challenges ahead.
‘Together, we can create a brighter, more equitable future for every child in The Gambia.’
In his opening statement, Alieu Loum, Deputy Chief of Staff at the Office of the President, thanked the participants for participating keenly in the forum, pointing out that the implementation of UNICEF Programme is geared toward complementing government efforts in national development.
He thus advised all the participants to look at the documents critically and add their inputs that will best serve the interest of the Gambian children.
