By Madiba Singhateh
The Climate Resilience and Coastal and Marine Zones Project, (GCCA+), held a stakeholder meeting with partners at a ceremony held on Friday 31 May 2024 in Kotu, as the project begins to wind up.
The ceremony also included a series of consultations on the sidelines with stakeholders in both the government and the private sector.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, GCCA+’s project Coordinator, Mr Abubacarr Kujabi, said the subject of discussion required them to invite Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and those engaged in taking care of the planted coconut trees along the coastline, to hear their challenges and for them to continue taking care of them even after the end of the project. According to Kujabi, more than four thousand coconut trees have been planted along the coastline and another 2,500 plants await to be planted.
Lamin Kommo of the National Environment Agency Coastal and Marine Unit said the project has implemented various activities within five years. So far, he said they are pleased with the positive impact it has and will leave on coastal communities, even though it poses serious challenges for these communities persist.
He thanked the current project coordinator, Mr Kujabi, and said he came when the project faced many challenges. He said Kujabi came at the final stage of the project, but was able to help them overcome most of the challenges faced by the project within a short period.
Also speaking at the ceremony were Heiko Zailat and Sheikh Alkinky Sanyang, who gave a rundown of the project activities during the past five years.
NAMs Hold Seminar on Ethics in Legislative Processes
By: Kebba AF Touray
Group picture of Members
Members of the National Assembly of the Republic of the Gambia have concluded a three-day seminar on ethics in constitutional and legislative processes with the International IDEA during the weekend. With funding from the European Union through the CODE project, the seminar was aimed at providing Members with the requisite tools to guide them as a reference point in their conduct, relative to the fulfillment of their core mandate in constitutional and legislative processes such as budget approval; scrutinizing the executive; representing public interests, and the establishment of a code of conduct on ethical standards.
The seminar witnessed the validation of a Code of Conduct for Members of the National Assembly and this is expected to be tabled for consideration during the Second Ordinary Session.
Presiding over the opening of the seminar, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Seedy S. K. Njie said the engagement is useful for Honorable Members because the regulation of parliamentary behavior and ethical standards are essential elements in securing public trust. He described the session as essential to secure equity of democratic systems as well as fostering a culture of public service that favors public interest over private gains.
“It is important that Parliamentarians demonstrate high standards of ethics consistent with their important public interest roles especially when scrutinizing the executive arm of government,” Hon. Njie said.
On his part, the Clerk of the National Assembly, Momodou A Sise, used the occasion to remind Honorable Members of his office’s commitment to supporting the Assembly to improve systems and processes and said instituting an ethics regime is a significant milestone to enhance professionalism and standards in the legislature.
