Justice Minister Addresses Human Rights Council Meeting in Geneva

3/3/2023

By Musa Saho

The Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Honorable Dawda A. Jallow, on Thursday, 2nd March, 2023 delivered a statement at the High Level Segment of the 52nd Session of the Human Rights Council at a ceremony held in Geneva, Switzerland.

The session brings together senior government officials from member states, the President of the General Assembly H.E. Mr. Csaba Kőrösi, the Secretary General of the United Nations H.E. Mr. Antonio Guterres, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights H.E. Mr. Volker Türk and the President of the Swiss Confederation S.E.M Ignazio Cassis among other dignitaries.

In his opening remarks, the Attorney General and Minister for Justice said, the session of the council serve as a crucial opportunity for member states to share their perspectives on the global human rights situation and to outline the steps taken to promote and protect human rights in their respective countries.

 “As the world continues to witness gross human rights violations, including violence against women, children, persons with disabilities and the persecution of ethnic and religious minorities, the Gambia joins the international community in condemning these atrocities and reaffirms our commitment to the principles of universality, indivisibility, and interdependence of human rights,” he said.

He added that the promotion and protection of human rights is fundamental to Gambia’s vision of a democratic and prosperous society, and that the country remains committed to upholding these values both at home and abroad.

He further stated that since the change of government in 2017, his Ministry has taken important steps to strengthen the country’s democratic institutions, to protect human rights, and to promote accountability and the rule of law in the Gambia.

According to him, the establishment of the TRRC was a significant step towards promoting human rights, justice, and reconciliation in the Gambia and following its successful completion in 2022.

“I am proud to report that the government has accepted 95% of the TRRC recommendations which includes legal and institutional reforms, prosecutions, reparations for victims, promotion of national healing and reconciliation among others” he stated.

He said, the government of the Gambia recognized the importance of these recommendations and they are committed to implementing them in a timely and effective manner with stakeholders, including civil society organizations, victims' groups, and other partners.

“We will work together to prioritize and implement the recommendations, while also ensuring that the necessary resources are available,” he asserted.

In the area of 2030 agenda for sustainable development and its commitment to leave no one behind and since the Gambia adoption of the Paris Agreement, he said the Gambia has made significant strides in implementing its commitment through the development of a climate change policy and strategy, which outlines the country’s national priorities for addressing climate change by strengthening institutional and legal frameworks to better integrate climate change considerations into development plan.

“The Government of the Gambia took note of the recent catastrophic happenings around the world and particularly in Turkey and Syria and wishes to express our country’s deepest condolences to the people of Turkey and Syria.  We therefore call on the international community to come together and to provide all necessary assistance to those affected by these catastrophes, and to work towards durable solutions to prevent further loss of lives and destruction,” he concluded.