By Yunus S Saliu
For better implementation of the recommendations on memorialization, as per the government White Paper, set out in the Implementation Plan, the National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC) mandated by the government, on Wednesday presided over the inauguration of a Steering Committee to see to the implementation of the recommendations on National Memorialization Framework set out in the Implementation Plan.
The purpose of this Steering Committee is to spearhead the implementation of the TRRC recommendations relating to memorialization, as the Steering Committee will ensure that the recommendations on memorialization are implemented in a victim-focused manner that is transparent and inclusive.
Addressing the inaugurated members of the Steering Committee, Hassoum Ceesay, Director General of the NCAC noted that the Implementation Plan aims to ensure that the TRRC’s recommendations are fully and effectively implemented, in a manner that is transparent, inclusive, and accountable.
He disclosed that the “Plan outlines the steps that the government will take to implement the various recommendations and identifies the key stakeholders responsible for its implementation.”
Explaining further, he said the government of The Gambia has committed in its White Paper on the TRRC recommendations to implement 263 of the TRRC recommendations, and in May 2022, developed an Implementation Plan to guide the process.
“The Implementation Plan envisages that memorialization initiatives will be carried out across the country in a manner that is victim-focused and takes into account the nature of the human rights violations that occurred. The Plan therefore stipulates that there shall be a Steering Committee chaired by the National Centre for Arts and Culture that will spearhead memorialization efforts such as renaming Arch 22 to Never Again Memorial, erecting a memorial wall with the names of all the victims who lost their lives during the Jammeh regime, to name a few,” DG Ceesay explained, Adding to that, he said this Steering Committee is therefore being set up to see to the implementation of the recommendations on memorialization as set out in the Implementation Plan.
The Steering Committee members, he named them, consist of various institutions namely, the National Centre for Arts and Culture (as Chair), Ministries of Justice, Lands and Religious Affairs, Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Basic and Secondary Education, Tourism and Culture, Information, National Council for Civic Education and National Youth Council.
The Steering Committee will, he noted, will be supported with technical and advisory services by the Technical Committee comprising the NCAC (as chair), Ministries of Justice, Lands, Regional Government and Religious Affairs, Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Basic and Secondary Education, Tourism and Culture, Alliance of Victim Led Organizations (AVLO (8 members), the Gambia Tourism Board, The Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (TANGO), University of The Gambia, Associations of Gambian Painters, Artists, Poets, Actors, etc,
Gambia Press Union, National Human Rights Commission, National Library Services, National Records Services, Gambia Radio and Television Services, UNESCO and International Centre for Transitional Justice.
However, the Steering Committee will be supported by the Post TRRC Unit at the Ministry of Justice with secretarial, logistical, and administrative services.