Gambia: President Barrow Signs Abolition Of Death Penalty Treaty

(JollofNews) – A few hours after delivering his maiden speech at the United Nations’ General Assembly, New York, President Adama Barrow of the Gambia has signed a treaty for the abolition of the death penalty as part of the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The president also signed the treaty on the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families, the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, the United Nations Convention on Transparency in Treaty-Based Investor-State Arbitration and the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.

“By signing of the treaties, the New Gambia continues to promote democracy and show the commitment of the state to protect lives of political activists,” a communique from the president’s office stated.

“This will remove fear and promote rule of law for citizens to express their civil and political rights.  The signing is a commitment of member states of the United Nations to prohibit execution and totally abolish the death penalty.”

The Gambia is one of the countries with high migration rate but also receives immigrants from other African countries, thus the importance of protecting the dignity of all migrants.  It agrees to protect the human rights of migrant workers and families.

During regime of former President Yahya Jammeh, Gambians were subjected to forced disappearance.

The president’s office said it is commendable for the Gambia to agree to prevent forced disappearance defined in international law not only at home but throughout the UN member states.

It added: “Setting international rules for investor-state arbitration is strategic as the world is increasingly dependent on investment for development of communities. Consent to apply the sets of rules on transparency in treaty-based Investor-State Arbitration will provide mechanism for recording such agreement and shall come into force as of 18th October 2017. It intends to minimise criminal acts and economic exploitation.

“The Gambia intends to prevent mass destruction of human life and property to promote peaceful co-existence in the world.  The signing of the treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, or the Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty will strengthen that commitment.

“The Gambia will now work to move from signing, to ratification and domestication of the signed treaties, to make them effectively in the country.”

Meanwhile, in separate engagements, President Barrow continued to hold meetings and network with his colleagues and investors.

On Wednesday morning, along with other invited heads of states, President Barrow attended a business meeting with Bloomberg at the Plaza Hotel in New York.

He also held a private meeting with the prime minister of Belgium and the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Fatou Bensouda.

During the meeting, Ms Bensouda gave an overview of her organisation’s work and called for support from African countries to understand the Rome Statues.