President Adama Barrow has pledged his support to the National Human Rights Commission for it to continue working independently during an annual reporting session with the Commission at the State House Tuesday afternoon.
The President said the achievements registered in four years of its existence, including the A status with a Geneva-based human rights watch network, are also a source of pride for the country.
He further reiterated his government’s commitment to building solid institutions while urging the Commission to also widen its scope of human rights practices to other state institutions beyond the executive.
The National Human Rights Commission Chairperson, Emmanuel Daniel Joof, thanked the President for the conducive environment that allows them to work independently to fulfill their pledge to “bring back the culture of human rights and make the Gambia the Capital of Human Rights in Africa.”
He briefed the President on decentralizing the Commission to rural Gambia, with offices in Basse and Farafenni serving the Central and Lower Rivers, respectively. It also developed a report on the level of implementation of the TRRC, which it monitors along with research and networking activities.
Mr Joof said closer collaboration with all arms of the executive in promoting human rights will encourage peace, stating, “We have an advisory role to dialogue, mediate and provide information based on our research findings.”
Chairperson Joof concluded that human rights are the business of everyone, and The Gambia should watch out against the rise of hate speech that sows disunity and discord between people.
The Gambia’s Human Rights scorecard has been high since the coming of the Barrow government. It is determined to promote peaceful co-existence, democracy, human rights and respect for the rule of law.
