State House, Banjul, 16th October 2018 – The top echelon of the United Nations, led by the Special Representative of the U.N. Secretary General in West Africa and the Sahel, Dr. Muhammad Ibn Chambas, has reaffirmed their unreserved support for the President of The Gambia, H.E. Adama Barrow, to stand by his government to successfully carry out institutional and governance reforms being undertaken.
The UN dignitaries made the pledges during a courtesy call on His Excellency, President Adama Barrow at the State House on Tuesday.
Stressing that The Gambia’s success is a victory for the United Nations, the UN-SG Special Representative promised his organization’s full backing of the Gambia government.
‘’You can continue to count on the support of the Peacebuilding Commission, right from the UN Secretary General himself. We are there with you in support of your effort to build the new Gambia. The commission is at your full disposal to make sure whatever is pledged [$20M for the peace process] is there for you’’, remarked Dr. Chambas.
In welcoming the UN team, President Adama Barrow expressed delight at the presence of the delegation at the launching ceremony of the TRRC in The Gambia, something he said, gives a good picture to the world about the importance the UN attaches to the transition period in The Gambia.
“We believe that without peace, we cannot succeed; without stability, we cannot move this country forward. My government has provided the political will to build a strong foundation for democracy and we are committed to strengthening the judiciary,” he said, maintaining that these are the cardinal principles upon which his government was built.
Despite inheriting a difficult past, President Barrow was upbeat that The Gambia will successfully forge on, just like other countries had a similar experience. He, however, maintained that the journey will not be realized without support from partners and friends like the UN.
The Gambia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad, Dr. Momodou Tangara described members of the delegation as “good friends” of the country who have been keeping alive the momentum on the Gambia at the UN.
