UNRIC Library Backgrounder: The Gambia

Security Council

• Meetings in 2017: 19, 13 January – Peace consolidation in West Africa
  http://research.un.org/en/docs/sc/quick/meetings/2017
  (Meeting records, press releases and resolutions)
• Meetings in 2016: 21 December – Peace consolidation in West Africa
  http://research.un.org/en/docs/sc/quick/meetings/2016

Resolutions and other documents:

• S/2017/63 (2 February 2017): Letter dated 20 January 2017 from the Permanent Representative of Senegal to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council: http://undocs.org/S/2017/63
  Transmits communiqué on the post-electoral situation in the Gambia, adopted by the Peace and Security Council of the African Union at its 654th meeting, held in Addis Ababa, 20 Jan. 2017.
• S/RES/2337 (2017): http://undocs.org/S/RES/2337(2017)(2017)
  endorsing the decisions of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union to recognize Adama Barrow as President-elect of the Gambia
• S/2016/1089 (28 December 2016): Letter dated 19 December 2016 from the Chargé d’affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of Senegal to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council: http://undocs.org/S/2016/1089
  Transmits communiqué by the Chairperson of the African Union supporting the decisions regarding the transfer of power in Gambia of the 50th ordinary session of the Conference of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States, held in Abuja, 17 Dec. 2016.
• S/PRST/2016/19 (21 December 2016): Statement [made on behalf of the Security Council, at the 7848th meeting, 21 Dec. 2016, in connection with the Council’s consideration of the item entitled “Peace consolidation in West Africa”:  http://undocs.org/S/PRST/2016/19

UN Entities

• United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS): http://unowas.unmissions.org
• Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights – Gambia: https://www.ohchr.org/en/countries/gambia
• Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) – Gambia: https://www.unhcr.org/countries/gambia
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Gambia: https://www.undp.org/gambia
• United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
  • ReliefWeb – Gambia: http://reliefweb.int/country/gmb
• International Organization for Migration (IOM) – Gambia: https://gambia.iom.int/
• International Court of Justice (ICJ) – Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (The Gambia v. Myanmar):
  https://www.icj-cij.org/en/case/178

Selected Statements and Speeches by UN Officials

• Secretary-General welcomes completion of Gambian Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission Process (SG/SM/21056, 3 December 2021): https://press.un.org/en/2021/sgsm21056.doc.htm
• Secretary-General Welcomes International Court of Justice Order on The Gambia v. Myanmar Genocide Convention Case (SG/SM/19946, 23 January 2020): https://www.un.org/press/en/2020/sgsm19946.doc.htm
• Secretary-General welcomes the Gambia’s decision to rescind its withdrawal from Rome Statute of International Criminal Court (SG/SM/18443-AFR/3532-L/3267, 16 February 2017): http://www.un.org/press/en/2017/sgsm18443.doc.htm
• Secretary-General calls new President of Gambia, voices ‘deep concern’ over outgoing leader’s refusal to step aside, refugee outflow into Senegal (SG/SM/18412-AFR/3524, 19 January 2017): http://www.un.org/press/en/2017/sgsm18412.doc.htm
• Gambia election: Zeid warning on human rights violations (16 December 2016): https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2016/12/gambia-election-zeid-warning-human-rights-violations
• Commending West African Leaders’ stance to enforce presidential election outcome in Gambia, Secretary-General urges restraint by security forces (SG/SM/18381-AFR/3510, 19 December 2016): http://www.un.org/press/en/2016/sgsm18381.doc.htm
• Secretary-General condemns military takeover of Gambia Electoral Offices (SG/SM/18364-AFR/3505, 14 December 2016): http://www.un.org/press/en/2016/sgsm18364.doc.htm
• Secretary-General dismayed over President’s statement rejecting election outcome in Gambia, urges legal resolution of all disputes (SG/SM/18348-AFR/3502, 10 December 2016): http://www.un.org/press/en/2016/sgsm18348.doc.htm
• Secretary-General applauds people of the Gambia on peaceful, successful election, congratulating winner while commending incumbent President’s concession message (SG/SM/18330-AFR/3496, 2 December 2016): http://www.un.org/press/en/2016/sgsm18330.doc.htm
• Secretary-General dismayed by deaths of Gambia opposition party members in state custody, calls authorities to promptly conduct thorough investigation (SG/SM/17678-AFR/3360, 17 April 2016): http://www.un.org/press/en/2016/sgsm17678.doc.htm
• Comment by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein on the situation in The Gambia (17 April 2016): https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2016/04/comment-un-high-commissioner-human-rights-zeid-raad-al-hussein-situation

Selected UN Documents

• UN Member States on the Record: Gambia
  https://www.un.org/en/library/unms
  United Nations Member States on the Record provides access to selected documents reflecting the views of United Nations Member States.

Non-UN Sources

• Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS): http://www.ecowas.int/?s=gambia
• African Union – Gambia: http://www.peaceau.org/en/
• The New Humanitarian (formerly “IRIN News”) – Gambia:
  https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/afrique/west-africa/gambia
• Security Council Report – West Africa and the Sahel: http://www.securitycouncilreport.org/unowas-west-africa-and-the-sahel/