30 police
officers are currently undergoing four days training on “Human Rights” at the
offices of the Association of Non-Governmental Organisations in The Gambia,
TANGO, at Fajara.
The 8–12
July, 2013 training seeks to introduce
officers of the country’s police force
to the general
concepts, principles and
standards of human rights. It
will also touch on the linkage between human rights, governance and
development, the rule of law, and law enforcement.
It is coming
at the back of the creation
of a Human Rights
Unit for the
Gambia Police Force (GPF),
which TANGO believes will definitely
serve to make the
GPF a more
responsive public institution
that will contribute
to the sustainable and peaceful
development of The Gambia.
“We expect
that with this knowledge, police officers at all levels will further improve
their work as they better understand and utilise human rights information and
skills in their work,” said Madi
Jobarteh, Programme Manager TANGO.
TANGO
considers the Gambia Police Force as a primary duty bearer in the defense of
human rights and the rule of law in The Gambia, a tiny West African country
where human rights remains a challenge.
The umbrella
body of civil society organisations in the country said it is necessary for the
police to better understand local and international human rights standards to
enable them ensure that the human
rights of persons are respected and protected.
This will
generate positive public perception about the police force, whose Officer
Commanding Human Rights Unit had requested for this training supported by the
Harare-based African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF).
Yahya
Sanyang, TANGO’s Board Chairperson, hopes all parties will derive maximum
benefit from deliberations that will in turn translate into “more resilience
and respect for human rights in our society”.
Consultative forum
On Wednesday
10 July, TANGO held its first “Consultative Forum on the Role of NGOs in
National Development: The Case for NGO Legitimacy, Accountability and Sustainability”.
That forum
raised issues of management, governance and leadership of civil society,
according to Ousman Yarboe, TANGO Executive Director.
It also
discussed the efficiency, effectiveness and relevance of NGOs in ensuring the
delivery of development goods and services that produce positive results and
impact on the lives of the people, he said.
NGOs have been critical of governments and global
institutions like the UN, AU, IMF or the World Bank of engaging in
rule-making processes that
are lacking in
transparency and accountability, thus without
legitimacy.
Now, TANGO
said, even NGOs are falling under the same criticism as those they direct at
governments and intergovernmental organisations.
“Critics
claim that NGO processes
are far from
transparent, democratic and
accountable, and are
also not legitimate representatives of
the masses,” the agency admitted.
Follow Google+
Follow on Twitter: @thenorthbankeve
Follow on Facebook: The-North-Bank-Evening-Standard
Written by Modou S. Joof
Follow on Facebook: The-North-Bank-Evening-Standard
Hey! This is my first comment here so I just wanted to give a quick shout out and tell you I really enjoy reading through your posts.
ReplyDeleteCan you recommend any other blogs/websites/forums that cover the
same subjects? Thank you!
Feel free to surf to my blog :: http://athomewealthsystemfacts.com