𝐏𝐒 𝐘𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐔𝐍 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐃𝐫. 𝐍𝐚𝐣𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐌’𝐣𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝-𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬

𝐏𝐒 𝐘𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐔𝐍 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐃𝐫. 𝐍𝐚𝐣𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚 𝐌’𝐣𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝-𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬

𝐁𝐀𝐍𝐉𝐔𝐋, 𝟏𝟓𝐭𝐡 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday 8th December held a high-level meeting between Permanent Secretary I, Ambassador Lang Yabou, and the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence Against Children (SRSG-VAC), Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid, as part of her official visit to The Gambia.

Dr. M’jid, who serves as a global advocate for preventing and eliminating violence against children, engaged the Ministry on The Gambia’s progress, challenges, and priorities in strengthening child-protection systems. She commended ongoing national efforts while noting the urgent need to address harmful practices such as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and concerns related to maltreatment in certain educational institutions.

She highlighted positive regional models, including Senegal’s reforms of Islamic boarding schools, and committed to sharing briefing documents and agreements to reinforce global cooperation.

Ambassador Yabou welcomed SRSG Dr. Najat Maalla M’jid on behalf of the Hon. Minister of Foreign Affairs and underscored the Government’s commitment to safeguarding children, describing them as the nation’s most important asset.

He emphasized the need for stronger partnerships, additional resources, and improved implementation of existing child-protection policies and programmes. He reaffirmed full government support for enhanced collaboration with the UN and the commitment of the Gambia to fulfill its international reporting and other obligations.

On the issue of local Daaras’ Ambassador Yabou underscored the importance of community engagement, sensitization and funding support to enable them to overcome their challenges and welcomed the offer by SRSG Dr. Najat to share experiences from Senegal’s success story in reforming local Daaras.

Delegation members recommended capacity-building for Gambian Missions abroad, including training to support diaspora communities
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to deepen cooperation throughout the SRSG-VAC’s mission and to strengthen national mechanisms that protect all children in The Gambia.