By Lamin Kujabi
During last week’s cabinet meeting, the Vice President of the Republic, His Excellency Mohammed BS Jallow presented to cabinet the National Early Warning and Response Mechanism Bill, 2024 and the National Population Bill 2024.
Presenting the National Early Warning and Response Mechanism Bill, the Vice President said the Bill underscores Government’s commitment in ensuring and guaranteeing human security, and highlights its recognition of the need to establish effective and efficient early warning mechanisms “aimed at enhancing government’s ability to predict and respond to situations threatening human security”.
It also seeks to address challenges ranging from uncoordinated and fragmented mechanisms, non-existent legal and institutional frameworks for early warning and response.
The bill covers the establishment of the Early Warning and Response Coordinating Centre, as well as its functions and the establishment of the board of the centre and other provisions.
The Vice President made reference to the Revised ECOWAS Treaty, which provides for the establishment of a Regional Peace and Security Observer System. “It has been observed that given these experiences, emphasis should now be placed on prevention and peace building including strengthening sustainable development, the promotion of region-wide humanitarian crisis prevention and preparedness strategy in the culture of democracy,” he stated.
The centre, he affirmed, will assist the government of The Gambia and ECOWAS Commission in timely identification of emerging crisis and conflict in The Gambia and other countries in the West African sub-region, and in the implementation of an improved crisis response mechanism.
About the Population Bill, the Vice President explained that it seeks to provide the legislative authorityfor population and development related issues in The Gambia, as well as secure the rights of everyone, and guide the implementation of population programmes, and to secure dedicated financing for population-related issues. It provides for the establishment of the National Observatory for Demographic Dividend.
He noted that the bill is a comprehensive framework to address population-related issues, promote data-driven decision making, ensure that demographic factors are considered in various aspects of national development and that it incorporates and aligns emerging issues with current and future realities of The Gambia.
This information was relayed to the press by Information Minister Jammeh.
