Members of Banjul City Council (BCC) have thanked The Association of Non-governmental Organisations in The Gambia (TANGO) for conducting a two-day social development training for them.

The training, Development Diaries gathered, focused on monitoring and knowledge analysis of policies, gender, budgeting, and human rights.

Funded by the United Nations Democracy Funds (UNDEF), the training brought together stakeholders to strengthen human rights and the rule of law in The Gambia.

In The Gambia, laws restricting freedom of assembly and freedom of expression are still in force despite the commitment from the authorities to uphold human rights.

Section Five of the Public Order Act requiring permission from the police to protest remains in force and has been used to restrict public gatherings.

Also, Sections 47, 48, 51, 52, 52A, 59, 60, and 181A are all clauses of the Criminal Code restricting freedom of expression.

‘It is important to talk about the rule of law and good governance because that is what we need for sustainable development’, the Executive Director of TANGO, Ndey Bakurin, said.

The BCC Social Representative Councillor, Ann Secka, said that the knowledge gained will be put to good use.

‘The training will impact a lot in our work after returning to our councils. The policy analysis is a good area to deal with because we do have obstacles dealing with certain policies in our various workplaces’.

For his part, the BCC Assistant Clerk, Baboucarr Nyang, said, ‘Policy is very important because it builds the structure of every organisation.

‘It is also crucial to discuss gender because it is part of us and we also have to empower our women. All the topics are important and the knowledge gained will be implemented in our councils’.

Source: The Point

Photo source: Paul Kagame