By Bubacarr Gaye
The Ministry of Interior (MoI), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), WANEP, and other stakeholders recently convened an Infrastructure for Peace (I4P) Technical Committee Meeting at Kombo Beach Hotel. The purpose of the gathering was to update technical committee members on the project results in quarters 2 and 3 and the ongoing 2024 activities. The forum also provided opportunity for briefings from technical subcommittees, discussions on the I4P planned joint monitoring visit and an update from the Peace Building Fund (PBF). Yirah S. Mansaray, the Project Manager of UNDP, on behalf of the UNDP Head of Governance, thanked the Ministry of Interior and WANEP for convening the I4P Technical Committee meeting. He said the initiative set the pace for the project’s success in 2024.
He shared that the project technical committee was constituted to provide oversight on technical matters that arise during project implementation, including emerging challenges and risks considered critical for the achievement of project objectives. Mr. Mansaray commended the Ministry of Interior for the validation of the draft PRC Bill, which he said is currently at the Ministry of Justice for legal scrutiny and opinion. He went further to reaffirm that UNDP will continue to encourage MoI to sustain efforts towards the enactment of the PRC Act, which he added will provide the legal framework for the establishment of a decentralised Peace and Reconciliation Commission (PRC) at the national and regional levels.
“While UNDP commended the National Youth Council for the inclusive and high-level stakeholders’ consultations for the development of The Gambia’s first National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security (YPS), we noted that the current momentum to advance the YPS agenda in The Gambia is not seen with the Women Peace and Security agenda,” he highlighted. In his conclusion, Mr Mansary encouraged partners to ensure the advancement of both agendas to mainstream marginalised groups in peace building programmes.
