Youth Parliamentarians Pass Resolution Urging Government to Reintroduce Draft Constitution

By Arret Jatta

The Leadership of the National Youth Parliament (NYP) presented resolutions compiled during their ninth ordinary session held from 30^th to 31^st October 2023. Speaking to the media on Wednesday 7^th November 2023, Speaker of the NYP, Hon Omar Cham called on the government to reintroduce the Draft Constitution and prioritize key legal and governance reforms to solidify the harnessing of the gains of the transitional justice process.

According to the young representatives, the government should amend the 1997 Constitution to introduce a quota system aimed at enhancing women’s participation in leadership and governance, promoting gender equity and dismantling gender stereotypes.

Speaking from the headquarters in Westfield the NYP Speaker urged the State “to constitute an inclusive emergency response team to take urgent measures to address irregular migration” and to ensure that the Gambian youth are placed at the forefront of the Recovery Focused National Development Plan (NDP) 2023-2027, including in its implementation processes.

On Friday 10th November 2023 the Gambia’s National Human Rights Commission issued a press release urging the government to address irregular migration “the backway” through the implementation of a 10-point plan. One of the points calls for the government to “Conduct, in partnership with Civil Society Organisations and youth groups, regular awareness-raising programmes through the media and other channels about the dangers of irregular migration to Europe”.

In addition, another action point instructs the State to “Work with the National Youth Council and other youth-led groups to identify and effectively implement sustainable programmes and projects which can contribute to the reduction of youth unemployment”.

Turning their attention to Technical and Vocational Training (TVET) programs, the NYP Leadership call on the government to prioritize TVET to enhance youth employability, “starting with the implementation of the pronouncement on the establishment of multipurpose TVET centres in each region, and equipping existing TVET centres, particularly in rural areas, to combat rural-urban migration and irregular immigration.”

Here are some of the other resolutions passed by the Gambia’s National Youth Parliament;

1. “Empower young people by facilitating trade, skills training, and grant opportunities, fostering entrepreneurship and self-sufficiency,”
2. “Promote agriculture as a viable commercial venture by offering financial support in the form of loans and grants to young people and ensuring the accessibility of fertilizers to enhance agricultural productivity”
3. Hon Cham also emphasized that the government should Increase the budget allocation for young people in the national budget to more efficiently address youth-related issues.
4. “Constitute an inclusive emergency response team to take urgent measures to address irregular migration.”
5. “Make Information Communication Technology (ICT) an examinable subject at all levels of our education.”
6. “Make Information Communication Technology (ICT) an examinable subject at all levels of our education.”
7. “Address the learning needs of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) particularly in teaching and learning of Math for the visually impaired; the provision of scholarships and the exclusive provision of braille, ramps and learning aids for Persons With Disabilities at all levels of education,”
8. “Protect and strengthen legal and institutional frameworks to provide more efficient implementation of laws and policies against FGM/C.”
9. “Increase public awareness campaigns on the negative consequences of FGM/C and promote intergenerational dialogue to find a common ground on the issue.”
10. “Include youth representatives in national peace structures including the peace and reconciliation commission to foster meaningful youth participation in all peace-building processes.”
11. “Strengthen civil society- security relations to foster collaboration for the maintenance of peace and security and encourage intergenerational dialogue and community policing to foster mutual understanding in peace-building processes.”
12. “Construct and develop sports facilities in each region to enable the youth to harness their potential and promote socioeconomic development.”
13. “Invest in the processing, manufacturing, and creative industries.”

Download the latest GPN Edition which features one of the sessions of the NYP.

https://gainako.com/download/201219/?tmstv=1699963114