SERAPHINE WAKANA, UN RESIDENT COORDINATOR UNICEF THE GAMBIA STRATEGIC MOMENT OF REFLECTION (SMR)

The Secretary general and Head of The Civil Service,

The Hon. Minister of Gender, Women, Children & Social Welfare

UNICEF Representative,

Permanent Secretaries,

Representatives from CSOs,

Colleagues from the UN,

The Media and all other officials present

Good Morning to you all.

It is a pleasure for me to join you again as you progress on 2023-2027 UNICEF CPD process. I was there in June 2021 at the launching ceremony that was attended by more than 100 development stakeholders from a cross-section of different sectors, including children, young people, and U-Reporters. 

At RCO, we appreciate the participatory and system wide approach applied to this process, and I applaud UNICEF for the hard work and commitment they continue to display since the beginning of the implementation of the roadmap in June 2021, a real contribution to the UN reform agenda. I also wanted to thank UNICEF regional office for the strong support provided to the CO which is another testimony that the UN reform is on its right path in The Gambia. Working hand in hand between CO and Regional Office to ensure countries deliver on the SDG agenda. These consultations are taking place in parallel to the development roadmap of the National Development Plan and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework. Together we will ensure all the three processes are smoothly implemented in synergy to allow the required alignment. I would conclude that the process has been comprehensive, participatory and strategic.

The key milestones of the roadmap have been guaranteed on a timely basis and that the participatory and comprehensive approach has been instrumental to hear the voices and opinions of numerous counterparts, including children, adolescents and young people who are crucial to our work at the UN.

These consultations also compliment the national and regional NDP and UNSCDF consultations thereby helping to ensure a strong reflection of children’s issues in all processes.  It is important that these are done so we are able to strategically support the holistic growth of children across all levels of society.

I must recognize the solid leadership of the key counterparts of the Government of the Gambia, especially from the Secretary General and Head of the Civil Service at the Office of the President who, together with her team has been present in all country programme milestones.

This evolving documentation is very thorough job in terms of identifying the key deprivations affecting the realization of children’s rights in The Gambia, but that this also presents us with the challenge and opportunity to be much more focused and strategic in our programmatic choices.  The SMR will also be an important opportunity to ensure that priorities for children are closely aligned with those contained in the evolving NDP and UNSCDF.

Whilst a lot has been done, It is important to ensure the country programme to is much more ambitious in terms of the results it can help to achieve in the country, as well as in the identification of innovations that can assist in strengthening services for that strongly promotes children’s right to life, survival, and development.  

I wish all participants a very successful and productive SMR and assure you of The RCO’s commitment to supporting UNICEF and the Government of The Gambia to generate the very best programme for children in The Gambia. Today we have the opportunity to discuss our achievements, but also what remains to be done and how, so that children can enjoy their rights and freedoms and states can properly respond to their demands and expectations.

That is the world we seek. It is in our mutual interest, and it is our common goal. The children deserve nothing less.