The European Union and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA), officially launched a new joint project under the title “EU Support to the Consolidation of Democratic Dispensation in the Gambia (CODE)”.
Funded by the European Union and implemented by International IDEA for three years, this project aims to provide technical assistance to key democratic institutions, namely the National Assembly, the National Human Rights Commission, and the Gambia Press Union, the statement made available said on Friday.
The overall project is to further strengthen the foundations of inclusive, participatory, gender-sensitive, and peaceful democratic governance in the Gambia.
The will entail various interventions such as training, advisory services to institutions, comparative knowledge generation, and dissemination of a Political Economy Analysis of the Media Landscape before the resumption of the Constitutional Reform Process.
They project covers the Code of Conduct on Ethical Journalism, the Code of Conduct for Parliamentarians, Human Rights Manuals, the Report of the Universal Periodic Review of the Gambia, as well as the Policy to prevent sexual harassment and exploitation in the media landscape in the Gambia.
Ambassador Corrado Pampaloni, underlined that: “Democracy is never to be taken for granted, nor fully accomplished”, adding that, “in a time of trouble, where populist and antidemocratic forces gain traction around the world, including on the European continent, we are constantly reminded of the need to be both modest and ambitious.
“Modest, because democracy is fragile and is never set in stone. Our efforts have to be consistent and constantly renewed. Ambitious, because democracy is the only political system that ensures that the citizens’ voice is heard, that leaders, who will represent the majority of their population, get elected in a free, fair, and transparent fashion.”
Roba Sharamo, Africa and West Asia Regional Director of International IDEA, said: “The CODE project supported by EU that we are officially launching today is, therefore, a continuation of IDEA/s strong commitment to provide its neutral and non-prescriptive technical assistance to the Transitional process in the Gambia.”
The CODE project will also complement the various ongoing initiatives that support the consolidation of democratic dispensation in the Gambia conducted or supported by other international partners.