By Nelson Manneh
With the mandate to promote and protect human rights, and to restore democracy, good governance and the rule of law in the country, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), together with stakeholders, yesterday Thursday, 17 July 2025, validated a Status Report on the implementation of the Government ‘White Paper’ on the TRRC recommendations. The validation of the report brought together various stakeholders to ensure that the NHRC, through the Support Monitoring Committee, provides a comprehensive and timely report to the National Assembly on the implementation of the Government’s ‘White Paper’ on the TRRC recommendations.
In his address to the gathering, NHRC Chairperson and Commissioner, Emmanuel Daniel Joof, said his Commission plays a crucial role in the implementation of the TRRC’s recommendations.
“The mandate includes supporting the government in the implementation of the TRRC’s findings; advocating for necessary legal and policy reforms, and ensuring that victims receive appropriate reparations,” NHRC Chairperson Joof said.
He said the NHRC actively encourages the government to prioritise the implementation of the TRRC recommendations, and emphasises the need to strengthen existing institutions and establish new ones to prevent future human rights violations and ensure accountability.
“The NHRC provides expert advice to the government on the necessary legal and policy changes needed to align with the TRRC’s recommendations, and the Commission works to foster a culture of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law in the country,” he said.
Chairperson Joof said the NHRC monitors the progress of implementing the TRRC recommendations by identifying the challenges and delays in the process. He said the Commission supports consultations with various stakeholders, including victims, civil society organisations and government agencies, to ensure a participatory and inclusive implementation process.
Mrs. Ida Persson, the Special Adviser of the Attorney General and head secretary of the post TRRC Unit, said justice delayed is justice denied. She said the government is doing all it can to make sure that victims receive their reparations on time.
“This engagement calls for a reflection and commitment to the implementation of the TRRC recommendations. From a monitoring perspective, there is notable progress in the whole process. One may argue that it is slow, but in our end, there is progress,” she said.
The Special Adviser of the Attorney General and head secretary of the Post TRRC Unit said reparations cannot wait, noting that the government is doing all it can to make sure that victims receive reparations as soon as possible.
Hon. Fatoumatta Njie, the National Assembly Member and Member of the Select Committee on Human Rights and Constitutional Matters, said that at the level of the National Assembly, they will continue to engage the Executive on the implementation of the TRRC recommendations.
“This report will highlight the achievements that have been made so far in the process of implementing the recommendations, but at the same time, it will capture some of the challenges. This will inform us as to what has happened so far and what needs to be worked on,” she said. Hon. Njie assured all victims of their support in making sure that the recommendations are fully implemented.
For the information of the readership, the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) submitted its final report with recommendations to the government of the Gambia in November 2021, after which the government also responded by releasing a ‘White Paper’ which accepted most of the recommendations, while outlining plans for the implementation of these recommendations.
In the same vein, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) also drafted a status report on the implementation of the Government’s ‘White Paper’ on the TRRC recommendation that they brought to the gathering for validation.
