The Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice hereby informs the general public that the Gambia has been duly elected to the United Nations premier human rights body, the Human Rights Council on Wednesday 9th October 2024 in Geneva. Gambia’s election by the members of the UN General Assembly was followed by her endorsement by African States. The Gambia will serve a term of three years starting from January 2025 to 2027.
The EF Small Centre gladly welcomes our country’s membership in this prestigious body which has a membership of 47 states from around the world. According to the UN, “The Human Rights Council is the main intergovernmental body within the United Nations responsible for human rights. Established in 2006 by the General Assembly, it is responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe.” (Welcome to the Human Rights Council | OHCHR).
In adopting UN Resolution 60/251 which created the Council, an indispensable criterion for membership is that a member state must be noted to be committed and contributing to the promotion and protection of human rights at home and outside.
In light of this, the EF Small Centre for Rights and Justice hereby reminds the Government of the Gambia of this commitment and as well as the confidence of the Africa states to endorse her for membership. For this reason, we call on the Government to honour this achievement by further strengthening its resolve and commitment to human rights protection in the Gambia itself.
As a matter of urgency, we wish to therefore submit the following recommendations to the Government to uphold:
- To fully uphold and enforce all human rights provisions in the laws of the Gambia.
- To refrain from weaponizing laws and the Gambia Police Force to violate rights but rather to give adequate space and independence to the police to enforce law and order based on only their own professional opinion and expertise in line with the law.
- To drop all charges of sedition, false publication and broadcasting, incitement to violence, and unlawful assembly imposed on several political opponents, journalists, civil society actors, and human rights defenders among others.
- To undertake legal reforms to decriminalize media offenses and repeal all laws or legal provisions that infringe democracy, popular participation and limit the enjoyment of fundamental freedoms such as freedoms of expression, media and assembly.
We urge the Government to serve as a strong and uncompromising voice for human rights in the Council at a time when the blatant destruction of rights by states themselves is widespread across the world. We wish the Government well during its tenure.
In The Spirit of Edward Francis Small, For The Gambia, Our Homeland.
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Madi Jobarteh
