By Mama A. Touray
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), in partnership with the Office of the Vice President of The Gambia and the National Early Warning and Response Mechanism Coordinating Centre (NCCRM), commenced a three-day in-country facilitation workshop today in The Gambia.
This workshop marks a significant moment in ECOWAS’ efforts to address critical human security challenges facing The Gambia and the sub-region, particularly in safeguarding the rights and security of vulnerable populations.
In her remarks, Binta Singhateh, Director of the National Early Warning and Response Mechanism Coordinating Centre, emphasized their commitment to mitigating prevailing weaknesses in governance, human rights observance, and administrative capacities in The Gambia, guided by a comprehensive understanding of multifaceted issues that define the context of integrated protection and human security.
“Aligned with ECOWAS’s core legal instruments and strategic objectives, we seek to consolidate these gains and chart a path forward that ensures tangible improvements in national coordination and resilience through targeted capacity building, enhanced coordination mechanisms, and the effective utilization of allocated resources,” she added.
Olatunde Olayemi, Director of Humanitarian and Social Affairs at the ECOWAS Commission, underscored the critical importance of human security to the ECOWAS Commission, as articulated in ECOWAS instruments, including the revised treaty.
“The need for the ECOWAS Protection and Human Security Integrated Coordination Mechanism is clear. In the face of dwindling resources, improved coordination to execute the protection of human security agenda is key. The initiative was launched in The Gambia with the Vice President presiding over the inaugural ceremony and hosting the former Commissioner of Human and Social Affairs, followed by a four-day workshop with national stakeholders resulting in the adoption of a roadmap for coordinating human security protection in The Gambia,” he stated.
Samba Mabllow, Permanent Secretary at the Office of the Vice President, highlighted that the workshop serves as a platform to collectively assess and enhance national efforts in implementing the ECOWAS Protection and Human Security Integrated Coordination Mechanism by building the capacities of the National Secretariat and engaging stakeholders.
“We aim to fortify our response mechanisms against vulnerabilities such as trafficking, gender-based violence, and child rights abuses. Throughout our deliberations over the next few days, I urge each of you to actively participate, share your insights, and propose actionable strategies that will drive us closer to achieving our objectives,” he added.
