By: Mariama Njie
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has started training three days training for commissioners and staff on leadership orientation on 10-12 September, 2019 at Kairaba Beach Hotel.
The training is meant to equipped commissioner and staff on the mandate, functions and powers of the Gambia NHRC; prioritization and strategic planning of the activities of the commission.
Emmanuel Daniel Joof, Chairperson of NHRC said the event is custom-made to support effective implementation of the NHRC’s programmes considering the commission’s recent establishment and on-going governance and institutional reforms within the framework of priority given by the National Development plan of the Gambia on respect of human rights.
He explained that NHRC commissioners they have embarked on series of activities which they believe are worth mentioning, adding that they are currently investigating the death of a man by the name of Ousman Darboe who was allegedly tortured by the personnel of the Anti-Crime Unit of the Gambia police force which sparked off riots in the Greater Banjul area 24th July.
According to him, NHRC is working in progress and very soon they will embark on the preparation of a 5years strategic plan of NHRC.
Joof pointed out that this workshop is timely and relevant as we embarked on cementing building blocks of the foundation of an effective NHRC in the Gambia.
Mr. John Ikubaje, Senior political officer Human Rights African Union Commission explained that it has been documented in different literatures that majority of the violent conflicts and authoritarian backsliding that characterize many nations states, particularly in Africa rooted in weak state and political institutions like the parliament, political parties, national human rights institution to mention but few.
He noted it was in this context that the Department of political Affairs of the African Union Commission is partnering with the IDEA on structural preventive Diplomacy in areas of democratic governance, human rights and Rule of law in Africa.
“Over the years, particularly in recent time, the Department of political Affairs of the African union commission has partnered with the IDEA to provide technical support to the Gambia national Electoral Commission, the Gambia Truth, Reconciliation and Reparation Commission and we have decided to expand the technical support beyond these areas by including the promotion and protection of human and people’s rights,” he added.
He stressed that the outcomes, particularly the actualization of the recommendations of the TRRC for instance is going to be a litmus test to the legitimacy of your office and the commitment of the government to the promotion and protection of human and people’s rights in the Gambia.
Ikubaje commended the Gambia government on its achievement of submission of reports to the ACHPR and the UN human Rights council recently, it is important to emphasize that we still have huge task ahead of them.