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The review meeting of the PRC Bill was held by the Ministry of Home Affairs with the support of the United Nations Development Programme at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Center.
Once the draft Peace and Reconciliation Commission Bill is finally approved, it will be submitted to Parliament.
Additionally, the purpose of the PRC Validation Session is to provide a platform for advisors to present key provisions in the draft PRC Bill and to provide stakeholders with an opportunity to comment on and validate the draft Bill.
UNDP Resident Representative Mandisa Mashologu acknowledged that the confirmation was an important milestone in the government’s determination to break with past human rights violations and reaffirm its commitment to justice and accountability.
She said the event also provided them with another opportunity to bring together key stakeholders to reflect on what needs to be done to achieve true and just peace and reconciliation in the country.
She said the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission conveyed the Gambian people’s strong call for peace, reconciliation, healing and social cohesion based on the truth told by the Gambian people.
“Reconciliation is the only way to ‘never again.’ It restores trust, which is the glue that builds relationships in society,” she said. “Without trust there is no cohesion! Reconciliation articulates a unified future rooted in a shared vision of how society should be structured to transform itself.”
She expressed optimism that the Public Relations Committee will meet those aspirations and play a vital role in supporting the victims and Gambian society to move beyond a painful past and towards a united and peaceful future.
She recalled that over the years, UNDP had come to realize how important it was to establish a Peace and Reconciliation Commission in the right way if a country was to recover and firmly embark on the path of unity and sustainable peace.
The Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Interior, Abraham Mendy, said the Ministry has contributed to the cause of peace and reconciliation in the country, upholding the new democratic dispensation that The Gambia now enjoys under the leadership of President Adama Barrow and their efforts towards a successful transition and effective security sector reform.
Mohamed S. Bah, member of the Technical Working Group (TWG) on Peace Infrastructure and Chairman of the Gambia Press Union (GPU), said the forum aims to pave the way for sustainable peace infrastructure that will serve as the cornerstone for long-term stability and reconciliation in the country.
He said that in their joint journey towards reconciliation and nation-building, they recognised the need for a framework that “not only addresses past grievances but also prevents future conflicts”.
“This is not just about responding to the past, but also about preparing for a peaceful future, ensuring that the values of harmony, justice and coexistence are embedded in the fabric of our nation,” Mr. Bach noted.
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