In his opening speech, the President of the Republic of Gambia, HE. Adama Barrow, recalled that 2023 marks the seventy-fifth (75th) anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on Human Rights; “a powerful reminder of the importance of defending and protecting the rights and freedoms of all people, regardless of their origin, race or belief” according to the President.

He reaffirmed that his government was fully committed to ensuring a comprehensive and effective implementation process and recognized the importance of working in partnership with all stakeholders within the country and the international community. He said: "We must focus on the root causes of human rights violations committed in the country and ensure that such crimes never happen again. This process includes strengthening our democratic institutions, promoting transparency and accountability, and creating an environment in which human rights are respected and protected.”

The United Nations Resident Coordinator in The Gambia, Ms. Seraphine Wakana, said in the same vein that the United Nations and its partners have embarked on a one-year initiative titled “Human Rights at 75 " to commemorate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She said: “I am extremely proud and happy to know that the Ministry of Justice is championing this commemoration by organizing this stakeholders’ meeting under the banner of celebrating human rights at 75.”
She also expressed gratitude to the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund for its continued support. The PBF supports a post-TRRC project jointly implemented by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and UNDP.

Ms. Wakana affirmed that "the project will continue to support the government in adopting effective measures and processes to enable the implementation of the CRR recommendations in response to the needs of victims", arguing that "the project aims to strengthen the capacity of the justice sector to pursue cases emanating from the RRC recommendations and to assist the National Human Rights Commission and civil society organizations in monitoring the implementation of the RRC recommendations.”

Fatou Jatta, on behalf of the victims, addressed stakeholders, donors and dignitaries, emphasizing the importance of respecting the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all individuals, families and communities. She emphasized that compensation is only one component of the reparations program, the others being restitution, rehabilitation, the satisfaction of human rights and fundamental freedoms of all individuals, families and communities.

The opening ceremony was followed by presentations from the Minister of Justice, the Honorable Dawda Jallow, and her team, who outlined the main activities under the components of the implementation plan. Development partners made interventions regarding current and future support for The Gambia's reform agenda. Panel discussions on reparations and legislative reforms were held during the two-day event. Survivors and victims praised the government's efforts but noted that the pace of prosecutions was slow.

In response to this concern, the Minister of Justice noted that for prosecutions to be successful, evidentiary and procedural requirements must be met. During plenary discussions, managing stakeholder expectations was highlighted as an important element of the implementation process. Political dialogue between different parties was highlighted as essential, given that some of the country's democratic shortcomings arise from or are linked to politics.

The Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) was established in The Gambia in 2018 to investigate human rights violations committed during the 22-year rule of former President Yahya Jammeh. The TRRC concluded its public hearings in 2019 and submitted its final report to the government in January 2021. The report includes a wide range of recommendations to address the legacy of past human rights violations, including measures to ensure accountability, provide reparations to victims and promote reconciliation. The government undertook consultations with stakeholders on the content of the report and published its white paper on May 25, 2022.

The Government of The Gambia is committed to implementing the recommendations of the CRRT and has developed an implementation plan to guide the process. The implementation plan aims to ensure that the recommendations of the CRRT are fully and effectively implemented, in a transparent, inclusive and accountable manner. The plan describes the measures that the government will take to implement the various recommendations and identifies the main stakeholders responsible for their implementation.

A key element of the implementation plan is the creation of a transitional justice coordination mechanism to oversee the implementation of the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. This mechanism, launched by the Minister of Justice during the conference, will be responsible for coordinating the efforts of different government agencies, civil society organizations and other stakeholders involved in the implementation process. The coordination mechanism will also provide a platform for dialogue and consultation with victims, their families and other stakeholders to ensure that their voices are heard throughout the implementation process.

To ensure accountability, the implementation plan includes measures to strengthen the justice system and improve access to justice for victims and their families. These measures include the establishment of a specialized unit within the Attorney General's Office to investigate and prosecute cases related to the findings of the Human Rights Commission, as well as the provision of legal and support services for victims and their families. The plan also includes measures to reform the security sector, to ensure that state security agencies are accountable and respect human rights.

In addition to these measures, the implementation plan includes provisions to promote reconciliation and healing, including the establishment of a national reparations program to provide financial and other assistance to victims and their families. This program will be guided by the principles of gender sensitivity, inclusion and participation, and will prioritize the needs of the most vulnerable victims.

For the government and its partners, the organization of this stakeholders' conference and this donor round table is motivated by multiple reasons, including better knowledge and understanding of the conclusions and recommendations of the CRRT, but also by the desire to offer victims and civil society organizations a platform to express their concerns and needs.

In total, some 350 participants took part in this high-level meeting, including civil servants and representatives of relevant government agencies, members of the National Assembly, victims of human rights violations and their families, civil society organizations working on human rights and transitional justice issues, international organizations, development partners and the media.bnba