BANJUL SUMMIT SEEKS SOLUTIONS TO GOVERNANCE CHALLENGES IN SAHEL REGION
President Adama Barrow yesterday presided over the maiden edition of the Sahel Governance Forum on the theme, The future of governance, re-building social cohesion and public trust, at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre (SDKJICC) in Bijilo.
The meeting which continues today, is being attended by high-profile personalities, including former heads of state and vice presidents, diplomats, high-level technicians, civil society representatives and other stakeholders who are discussing a range of topics related to peace and stability in the Sahel Region.
The forum is initiated under the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and is co-hosted with the support of Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Foundation and International IDEA, to create regional dialogue amongst countries in the Sahel
Addressing the forum President Barrow said the event offers a unique opportunity for member states of the region to listen, dialogue, learn from one another, draw lessons from past initiatives and co-create governance solutions that are nationally owned, inclusive, resilient and people-oriented.
The president said all across the Sahel region, the slow pace of return to democratic rule and the withdrawal of some Sahel states from Ecowas continue to compound the persistent and emerging challenges that confront the region individually and collectively.
“The Sahel is a region of immense promise, vastly rich in human and natural resources, favourably blessed with a unique cultural heritage and endowed with a huge strategic potential to spur economic boom, and these endowments make the region a formidable gateway to Africa’s sustainable development and energy transition. Yet, over the years, its true value and potential have been overshadowed by challenges that hampered the attainment of the much needed peace, social cohesion, and pace of development it deserves,” Barrow lamented.
He said this not notwithstanding, the Banjul forum is called not just to lament the challenges and inadequacies, but to confront them with courage, clarity, and collective resolve.
“Our task is to devise home-grown solutions, act on lessons learnt from the past and move forward through peaceful and people-centred approaches for sustained development and prosperity,” the president said.
He urged participants to use the forum as a catalyst for change ‘so that we leave this conference centre with a renewed sense of purpose and a shared commitment to building a continent where governance works for all, where trust is restored and where every citizen feels seen, heard, and valued”.
“If all leaders and citizens alike commit to patriotism and good neighbourliness, an amicable synergy of efforts and collaboration will unfold to uplift our economies and stabilise both the Sahel and the African continent,” Barrow said.
He welcomed and thanked the United Nations Development Programme, the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for Development in the Sahel, the Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Foundation, and International IDEA for partnering and collaborating with The Gambia to co-host the forum.
Other speakers include the president of the Ecowas Commission Dr Omar Touray and former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan, among others.
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Source: The Standard
