Note to Correspondents: United Nations Peacebuilding Commission Press Statement on The Gambia

1. On 18 October 2022, the Peacebuilding Commission (PBC) convened a meeting on the Gambia with the participation of H.E. Attorney General and Minister of Justice of The Gambia, a civil society representative from the Gambia, as well as senior UN officials, including Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Director and Deputy Head for Peacebuilding Support Office (PBSO), and UNDP Resident Representative for the Gambia.
2. The meeting focused on The Gambia’s transitional justice process, including the Government’s White Paper on implementing the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) recommendations. The Government of The Gambia provided an update on the priority areas and related actions on the implementation phase of the TRRC recommendations.
3. The PBC members commended The Gambia on the remarkable progress in the national transitional justice process, reconciliation, and democratic governance. They welcomed the critical support provided by the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) to the work of the TRRC and other peacebuilding priorities. The PBC members underscored the timely implementation of the TRRC recommendations as crucial for sustainable peace and development in the country. Furthermore, the PBC members highlighted the important role of women in implementing the TRRC recommendations and the need to address the issues of sexual and gender-based violence. The PBC members recognized the Commission as an important platform for sharing experiences on the national transitional justice and reconciliation processes.
4. The PBC members expressed readiness to help sustain international support for The Gambia’s peacebuilding priorities, particularly for the implementation plan of the TRRC recommendations as part of the transitional justice process and to engage with the Gambian authorities in the context of upcoming stakeholders’ conference in 2023. In this respect, the PBC underscored the importance of continued long-term support to The Gambia by the UN and its partners and encouraged a coordinated and coherent approach.

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