RESCHEDULING OF IOC SUMMIT

 Due to a change of government, it was rescheduled to the year 2020. Again, The Gambia could not meet the requirements of hosting the Islamic event. It was proposed for the third time to host the summit in December 2023. Despite strong indications by the OIC Secretariat that the event will take place between the 12th - 17th December 2023, the President on his return from Saudi Arabia recently announced that the OIC Summit has been postponed and will now take place in May 2024. The series of rescheduling of the hosting of OIC Summit raises doubts about the Gambia’s capacity to host the event.

The sad thing in my opinion, is that the officials are not telling the President the truth and giving him proper guidance on hosting the OIC Summit. The diplomatic strategy in resource mobilization and conference support have been very weak. It was a tragic mistake to set up the OIC as a Project Secretariat. The office is not endowed with the requisite technical, diplomatic skills and knowledge to handle OIC matters.

There was no strong oversight authority to monitor and enforce implementation of the requirements of hosting the OIC Summit. OIC is a state owned Summit and should have been located in government under the auspices of the Foreign Ministry.

A conference expert or organizer could have been contracted as the lead person in the hosting of the Summit in The Gambia. He will work with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other relevant stakeholders to make the event happen in The Gambia.

Since the Chinese had constructed the International Conference Center, from the beginning, The Gambian Government could have approached the Saudi Arabia government to donate to the Gambia a five star hotel that could be named the King Salman the Crown Prince Hotel as a contribution to the hosting of the OIC Summit in The Gambia. The King Fahad Hotel was granted to Senegal when the country hosted the OIC Summit. Talking about diplomatic strategy in resource mobilization, since 2017, a number of state visits by H.E the President to key OIC member states could have been organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The objectives of such visits will focus on requesting assistance and support from colleague leaders, the requirements of hosting the OIC Summit in The Gambia. A major event like hosting the OIC Summit, the resource mobilization and request for support from member states cannot be left only to officials and special envoys. It weakens the status and profile of the Gambian State. A seasoned diplomat should understand the dynamics of international relations. 

The pool of Ambassadors at large and Honorary Consuls the country have been accorded with, all have roles to support the preparations of The Gambia hosting the OIC Summit. They should all be involved in resource mobilization and support through their representations to complement the government’s efforts in the realization of the event in The Gambia. If it were not for the lack of economic diplomatic foresight, The Gambia could have sent a presummit negotiation team to the recently held Saudi - Africa Summit in which 12 African countries were given development loan agreements worth over SR 2 Billion. 

We have highly trained professionals in the country in the persons of Bammy Dodou Jagne, Baboucar Sompo Ceesay, Badou Senghore, Daddy Njie, Abdoulie Bax Touray, Aki Bayo, Abdoulie Jarra, Baboucar Blaise Jagne, Kebba Touray, etc, and many others, who could have formed a solid presummit team to negotiate development packages for the country at the Saudi - Africa Summit. 

The Gambia must learn to use the expertise the country is endowed with to achieve accelerated socioeconomic development. The AU Summit was successfully hosted in The Gambia in 2006. This was due to the combination of the professionalism, expertise, knowledge and experiences of Gambians both in the service and outside of the service. Nowadays no one wants to speak truth to power. Those who love the country let them listen to wise counsel. The Gambia belongs to all of us and not some of us. It is in our collective interest for The Gambia to host the OIC Summit.

Hosting the OIC Summit is not only about building roads. It entails a host of other essential requirements which if not fulfilled could lead to lower attendance by member countries. We cannot take it for granted. It will be a big legacy of the Barrow government for a successful OIC event in The Gambia. Hard work towards the event therefore, is a task we must accomplish. 

THE NATION CANNOT FAIL!