By Aisha Tamba
Every year, the United Nations Development Programme convenes with partners to review the country programme document, to discuss the achievements and pre-plan on the strategic document.
This year, the UN body held a two-day meeting with 57 partners at a local hotel in Kotu to reach a common understanding of the progress towards the achievement of the Country Programme Document outcomes and UNDP’s contribution to the National Development Agenda.
The purpose of the 2021 Annual Review and 2022 Planning Meeting is to undertake a strategic review and reflection of the CPD since 2017, with a view to aligning the 2022 strategic offer of the UNDP Country Office to the current needs and aspirations of the people of The Gambia.
Ida Persson, UNDP head of governance, said the review of the country programme document is delayed to early this year because of the December election.
“As usual we are here with our 57 partners. We are working on governance issues, environmental issues, economic management and poverty issues. We discuss to collect all the information’s needed, reflect on them and then we plan ahead to do better,” she added.
Nana Chinbuah, UNDP deputy representative, added: “There are some areas that we have not reached our target, we have discussed those whether it’s on governance, environmental issues or inclusive management. The idea now is to try to capture it in our board plans for 2022 and hope to be able to deliver on them.”
According to the Country Programme Document, under its Governance and Human Rights pillar, UNDP has maintained support to the Government of The Gambia in consolidating critical reforms. A national security reform policy has been validated and launched and a national security strategy and security sector reform strategy drafted.
The Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission has since January 2019 held public hearings with 393 witnesses of whom 239 were victims and 100 were women. 46 confessed perpetrators, 166 victims and 4 expert witnesses and over 1,200 statements were received, approximately 400 from women. About 50 persons who appeared before the TRRC were self-confessed or alleged perpetrators, 32 appeared via video link and 6 were expert witnesses.
Combined, TRRC hearings have produced over 2,800 videos of live footage. However, COVID-19 caused a total of 12 weeks suspension of hearings and cancellation of face-to-face outreach activities, but intensified communication, including in the most remote parts of the country, whilst statement taking exercises were adapted over the telephone. The TRRC has completed its public hearing and the report has been submitted to the President with recommendations as well as reparations plans.
UNDP also partnered with the International IDEA and the Constitutional Review Commission to produce the first draft constitution, which was submitted to President Barrow in April 2020 but on 22 September, the Constitutional Promulgation Bill tabled for debates at the National
Assembly was rejected- 31 NAMs voted for and 23 against, with 3 absentees, thus implying that the 1997 Constitution remains in force.
