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On Wednesday, 26th June 2024, His Excellency Dr. Mamadou Tangara, Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad received the Spanish Minister for Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, His Excellency Jose Manuel Albares Bueno, and his delegation at his office in Banjul. H.E Bueno’s visit to The Gambia entailed a series of high-level engagements with top government officials, including His Excellency President Adama Barrow. During these meetings, H.E Bueno indicated that West Africa is a priority region for Spain and commended The Gambia for promoting and being an example of peace and stability within the sub-region. Dr. Tangara welcomed H.E Bueno and his delegation to The Gambia and reaffirmed the country’s commitment to strengthening the collaboration between the two countries. The Ministers and technicians had discussions on health, education, migration, security, anti-crime as well as democracy, human rights issues, and economic and business relations between The Gambia and Spain.

A delegation led by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad, His Excellency Dr. Mamadou Tangara will be in Bissau from 26 – 28 June 2024 to participate in the Fourth Joint Commission between the Republic of The Gambia and the Republic of Guinea Bissau. The Joint Commission will serve as an excellent interlocutor to jointly examine and agree on the modalities for mutually beneficial cooperation and collaboration between the Governments and Peoples of the two countries. Discussions will be focused on strategic sectors of the economies of the Republic of The Gambia and the Republic of Guinea Bissau and on elevating the historic and friendly ties that exist between the peoples of the two countries. Minister Dr. Tangara will be accompanied by senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad and other Ministries and institutions of the Government of The Gambia.

The Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad, Hon. Dr. Mamadou Tangara participated in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Arria-Formula meeting on: “Combating the Rise of Terrorism and Violent Extremism in West Africa and the Sahel and the PeaceBuilding Commission (PBC) meeting of the 2025 review of the peacebuilding architecture citing The Gambia as a case study. The meetings were held on the 19th and 20th of June, 2024 respectively at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York. The Hon. Minister in his deliberation at the UNSC Arria-Formula on combating the rise of terrorism and violence acknowledges that the Sahel region is ravaged by violent extremism, which threatens to destabilize the neighboring coastal states and risk extensive security spillovers. He urged Member States to act swiftly and decisively to build a wall of resilience against this insidious threat, citing that the fight against terrorism in West Africa and the Sahel demands a global, regional, sub-regional and national commitment. He proposed that the international community must strengthen national and regional capabilities, fostering robust information and intelligence sharing networks and joint military patrols amongst coastal and Sahelian states. At the meeting on the peacebuilding architecture review, Hon. Minister Dr. Tangara underscored the need for the 2025 Review to be innovative for the continued relevance of the Commission and strengthening relations with Member States and International Financial Institutions (IFIs). He asserted that the unique action by the PBC in The Gambia in 2017 made it and the Peace Building Fund popular for complementing domestic efforts to put countries on the right track of building national resilience. He buttressed the importance of peacebuilding as a continuous process and the need to accommodate the involvement of individuals and communities, noting the review must sufficiently consider approaching every situation differently because no one size fits all.

On Monday, 10th June 2024, a team from the Global Fund in Geneva, Switzerland, paid a courtesy visit to the Honourable Minister for Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Dr. Mamadou Tangara. The purpose of the visit was to update the Honourable Minister on the recent activities of the institution in The Gambia. The delegation, led by Ms. Ada Faye, Chief Financial Officer of the Global Fund, gave an overview of their activities in The Gambia thus far as well as upcoming activities. Ms. Faye reaffirmed their commitment to continue complementing the efforts of the Government of The Gambia towards the further development of the education and health sectors. Additionally, she commended the Government of The Gambia for its support in facilitating their work in the country. The team also commended the support of the Ministry through the Embassy and Permanent Mission of The Gambia in Geneva by regularly participating in high-level meetings on the activities of the Fund. For his part, the Honourable Minister for Foreign Affairs, His Excellency Dr. Mamadou Tangara, welcomed the delegation and commended their work both in the country and through their regional partnerships. Dr. Tangara also assured them of the commitment of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to supporting the programmes of the Global Fund and consolidating regional initiatives to enhance engagements in health diplomacy and programmes aimed at supporting the health sector of The Gambia.

The President of the Republic of Korea, His Excellency, Yoon Suk-yeol, joined by Her Excellency, Madam Kim Keon-hee, First Lady of the Republic of Korea officially welcomed His Excellency, Dr. Mamadou Tagara, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of The Gambia to Seoul at a welcome Reception. Dr. Tangara representing His Excellency, the President of the Republic of The Gambia, Mr. Adama Barrow joined other African Presidents, Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers who are also attending the 2024 Korea – Africa Summit in Seoul, the Republic of Korea. This year’s Summit is the maiden Korea-Africa Summit organized by the Republic of Korea to bolster bilateral cooperation and promote development cooperation under the Theme “The Future We Make Together – Shared Growth, Sustainability and Solidarity.”

As the Republic of Korea is set to host the first-ever Korea-Africa summit on 4th – 5th June 2024, H.E. Dr. Tangara expressed gratitude to H.E. Cho Tae-yul, Minister for Foreign Affairs of The Republic of Korea, and the Government of the Republic of Korea for organizing such a laudable forum in a bid to discuss further areas of cooperation contained in a joint declaratio ahead of the leaders summit. H.E Tangara, reflecting on the enormous support by the Government of the Republic of Korea to Africa, especially in the areas of peace and security, recognized the Republic of Korea’s contribution to the peace and security fields in Africa including financial contributions to the African Unions Peace and Security initiatives and supporting UN Peace Keeping personnel. This gesture he said promotes the South-South Cooperation and Multilateralism in the Global South. Similarly, Dr. Tangara further remarked that the Government of the Republic of Korea, conscious of the security development nexus, has contributed to the establishment of the UN Peacebuilding Fund for the Republic of The Gambia in January 2017, which helped established the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparation Commission and also drew up its National Development Plan. This support, he remarked, immensely contributed to the process of The Gambia’s democratization history and further strengthened our bilateral cooperation. He also highlighted the importance of building strong infrastructure and stated that it is the cornerstone for development cooperation and, therefore, encouraged the meeting to map out strategies for a sustainable and resilient development that enhances meaningful cooperation for the shared growth of both Korea and Africa. In conclusion, Dr. Tangara expressed the Republic of The Gambia’s alignment with the Joint declaration and fully support Korea’s endeavors for cooperation with Africa.

The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs of The Gambia, His Excellency Dr. Mamadou Tangara has called for concerted efforts in combating misinformation and disinformation fueled by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital technology, emphasizing that the phenomena pose a significant threat to democracy, particularly in the developing world. “Adapting to new technologies presents risks and threats coming from malign actors that have access to sophisticated platforms to propagate information detrimental to our already consolidated democratic gains and growth,” said Foreign Minister Tangara who was speaking on Monday, March 18th 2024 in Seoul, South Korea, at the Ministerial Conference held before the Third Summit for Democracy where he delivered a speech on AI/Digital Technology and Democracy. “Developing states with less sophisticated infrastructure, capacity, and resources required the cooperation and collaboration with developed states to collectively fight to end AI threats to democracy,” he said, while recognising the immense benefits of AI, especially in promoting human rights and ensuring democratic participation. Foreign Minister Tangara enjoined the developed world to collaborate with the developing countries in at least five key areas, including building strong public AI digital infrastructure and oversight bodies; building synergies between states, public and private institutions on the AI value chain; providing capacity-building training for developing states to counter the existential AI threats to democratic processes; and sharing data in order to deter threats. The increasing threats of malicious information spreading through poorly regulated platforms have generated profound discord amongst different communities and continue to erode positive public perceptions of the existing democratic institutions,” he said. The Gambia, he added, supports the strengthening of common positions in addressing complex challenges of new technologies in its capacity as a Member State of the African Union Peace and Security Council (AU PSC). He said that in August 2022, The Gambia chaired a Session on “Emerging Technologies and New Media: Impact on Democratic Governance, Peace and Security in Africa”. Minister Tangara intimated that The Gambia as Chair of the Month of the Peace and Security Council, called for concerted efforts with the private sector actors to mitigate the threats posed by new technologies on democracy, peace and security, and to ensure that Africa is not left behind in the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR). Minister Tangara used the opportunity to extend gratitude to His Excellency Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and the Government of the Republic of Korea for his leadership and support for democracy in The Gambia during his able chairmanship of the Peace building Commission (PBC) in 2016. He commended member countries for efforts employed in building better cooperation and collaboration between states and relevant public and private institutions with a view to respecting and protecting all rights. He assured of The Gambia’s committed partnership as we look forward to an initiative that is solution-driven to Counter Digital Threats to Democratic Processes, Artificial Intelligence and Emerging Technologies whilst respecting and promoting rights for innovation as well as upholding online freedom. The Ministerial Conference was chaired by His Excellency Cho Tae-yul Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea and attended by The Honourable Anthony Blinken, Secretary of State of the United States of America, Her Excellency Ms. Maria Sommerfeid, Foreign Minister of Ecuador, The Honourable Hugh Hilton Todd, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Her Excellency Retno Marsudi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia, His Excellency Kamikawa Yoko, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan and Her Excellency Vera Jourova, Vice President of the European Commission. Minister Tangara also had a bilateral meeting with his South Korean counterpart on the margins of the Ministerial Conference. The two Ministers applauded the growth in the bilateral engagements and cooperation between The Gambia and South Korea and agreed to the further consolidation of the fraternal ties between the two countries.

On this auspicious occasion of Commonwealth Day, The Gambia proudly joins the international community in celebrating our shared values, aspirations, and achievements. Under the theme “One Resilient Common Future,” we are reminded of the strength and unity that bind us together as member states of the Commonwealth. As we reflect on the challenges and triumphs of the past year, we reaffirm our commitment to building a more resilient and inclusive future for all. The COVID-19 pandemic has tested our collective resolve, but it has also demonstrated the power of collaboration and solidarity in overcoming adversity. In the face of unprecedented global challenges, the Commonwealth remains a beacon of hope and opportunity. Together, we strive to create a world where every individual can thrive, regardless of their background or circumstance. As a proud member of the Commonwealth family, The Gambia is dedicated to promoting peace, democracy, and sustainable development in our region and beyond. Through dialogue, cooperation, and mutual respect, we will continue to work towards a brighter and more prosperous future for all. On this Commonwealth Day, let us renew our commitment to building a world where diversity is celebrated, equality is upheld, and justice prevails. Together, we can overcome any obstacle and forge a path towards a more resilient and prosperous future for generations to come.

The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs HE Dr Mamadou Tangara is in Antalya Turkey to attend the Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF 2024) which will take place from March 1st-3rd 2024. In the third edition of the Forum, this year’s theme is “Advancing Diplomacy in Times of Turmoil” The Forum will host a series of high level officials from all over the world and pertinent matters will be discussed at round tables, debates, panels and other meetings. At ADF 2024 the Honourable Minister will participate in a panel titled, “Climate Change: How will future generations remember us?” moderated by TRT’s Andrea Sanke the Minister will be sharing the platform with his counterparts from South Africa and Madagascar among others. Pictured below is the Hon. Minister and the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Honourable Hakan Fidan. Photo Credit: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Turkey   #ADF2024 #diplomacy #Gambia

As a key outcome of the India-Gambia Development Cooperation, the forth group of Senior Gambia Government officials have recently concluded a two-week Advanced Leadership training program on Public Policy and Governance at the Mussoorie Campus of the National Center for Good Governance. The training is embodied in the implementation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the Public Service Commission of The Gambia (PSC) and the Department of Administrative Reform and Grievances (DARPG) of the Republic of India in July 2021. The program has so far trained over 100 participants from The Gambia. The aim is to equip participants with cutting edge knowledge, skills and tools to deliver and design effective public policy in an increasingly complex and interdependent world, which will lead to achievement of good governance practices. This initiative was facilitated by the Gambia’s High Commissioner to India, His Excellency Mustafa Jawara. Participants were drawn from various government sectors, this session included governors from all five regions in The Gambia and presidential advisers who arrived in India on the 21st of January 2024. They were received by the High Commissioner and his team from the Commission in Delhi. High Commissioner Jawara advised participants to make maximum use of the training opportunity accorded to them by the Government of India. Mr. Shri V. Srinisvas, Secretary DARPG in his opening remarks emphasized the efficiency of India’s “Maximum Governance, Minimum Government” policy which has a special focus on Digital Empowerment and Transformation. Mr. Srinivas also detailed measures for Effective Public Governance Redressal, Unified and interoperable Service Delivery Portals and the use of e-office in shaping India’s governance landscape. Furthermore, he emphasized the significance of innovation at district and state levels under Prime Minister Modi’s Award Scheme for Excellence in Public Administration.