By Ya Awa Touray
The Government of the Republic of The Gambia and the European Union (EU) recently held a high-level political dialogue under ex-article 8 of the Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP) - EU Partnership (Cotonou) Agreement in Banjul, The Gambia.
This was the first time such Political Dialogue was held after the democratic elections of 2016 that marked the transition from an authoritarian regime to democracy, led by President Adama Barrow.
The Dialogue provided an opportunity to review recent developments in the EU and The Gambia, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on public health and the support provided by the EU response amounting to more than €35 Million for the country. The EU and The Gambia discussed developments in the area of transition to a full democratic country, supported by the three key reforms envisaged: Constitutional, Transitional Justice / Rule of Law and Security Sector. They also discussed Human Rights and the policies related to addressing gender equality and gender-based violence, as well as The Gambia’s priorities as member of the UN Human Rights Council.
The EU and The Gambia highlighted their commitment to further strengthen their political partnership and continue joint efforts towards the full implementation of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and promotion of the rules based on international order and effective multilateralism with the UN at its core. The Gambia and the EU agreed on the need to improve how progress is tracked on the implementation of joint projects in the interest of building and maintaining trust amongst the Parties.
The Gambia Government conveyed the message that a little more time is needed to ensure proper consultations with the relevant stakeholders with regards to the implementation of the White Paper within the course of 2023.
The Parties acknowledge the efforts being made by the Government in implementing the Security Sector Reform, but also expressed desire for the process to be finalised transparently on a faster tempo with given timelines. The parties also exchanged on the recent coup plot.
They also expressed satisfaction with the human rights situation in the country, which has placed The Gambia in a respectable position of the human rights pedestal. They also agreed that globally the human rights situation has deteriorated and that common actions to fight against this trend should be continued at multilateral level.
The Parties look forward to a fair and peaceful Local Government Elections in 2023 that will close the second election cycle under the new democratic tenure. They confirmed a cordial relationship between The Gambia and the European Union based on mutual trust, respect and frequent consultations.
Other matters discussed include the Green Recovery National Development Plan (2023-2027), the EU-Gambia Multiannual Indicative Programme 2021-2027; migration – readmission cooperation and EU assistance packages to enable the Gambia better equip its law enforcement agencies with the requisite capacities and logistics to adequately and effectively handle the monthly flow of returnees, as well as the need for the reassessment of the EU Visa code towards The Gambia.
