Africa-Press – Gambia. A two-day training programme on human rights, decentralization, and the Local Government Act was recently concluded at the Governor’s Office in Kerewan, North Bank Region.
The training was held by the National Council for Civic Education (NCCE), in collaboration with the Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (TANGO), with funding from the EU and UNDP-funded Gambia Responsive and Accountable Democratic Transition (GREAT) project.
The training was conducted under the theme: “Activating Local Power: Civic Rights, Accountability and Local Governance in Practice.”
Speaking at the event, Governor Lamin Saidykhan thanked NCCE and its partners for what he described as a timely initiative aimed at strengthening public awareness on local governance, social accountability, and the human-rights-based approach to development.
Mamadou A.H. Bah, Senior Programme Officer at NCCE, highlighted the importance of building capacity in local governance and ensuring that human rights principles guide development processes. He said the 2024 State of Human Rights Report commissioned by the National Human Rights Commission underscores persistent challenges in promoting rights-based practices at the community level. Despite decentralization being a key driver of inclusion and accountability, he noted, many communities still lack the tools to effectively engage their councils.
Bah added that the training seeks to deepen participants’ understanding of the Local Government Act, promote the integration of human rights in decentralized structures, and strengthen skills to monitor, report, and advocate for inclusive development. “This is not only about learning laws and policies. It is about transforming governance into a participatory process where citizens’ voices are heard and respected,” he said.
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