The Office of Parliamentary Legal Advisers recently concluded a successful trip to the National Assembly of The Gambia undertaken as part of the INTER PARES initiative, which endeavours to strengthen the capacity of parliaments in partner countries by enhancing their legislative, oversight, representative, budgetary and administrative functions.
Funded by the EU, the trip marked the culmination of over two years of engagement with parliamentary colleagues in The Gambia, International IDEA and INTER PARES. This commenced in October 2022 with officials from the National Assembly of The Gambia visiting their Irish counterparts in the Houses of the Oireachtas. This year in Banjul, Mellissa English, Chief Parliamentary Legal Adviser, and Ramona Quinn, Parliamentary Services Legal Adviser, delivered a series of tailored training seminars to Members on ethics in legislative and constitutional processes, in conjunction with Deputy Clerk of the Assembly, Mr. Kalipha MM Mbye.
Key highlights
Interactive workshops
Multiple interactive sessions facilitated the exchange of ideas, international best practices, and strategies for maintaining high ethical standards in a parliamentary setting.
Code of conduct
A comprehensive Code of Conduct was developed by the Gambian Members with technical support from International IDEA and the OPLA. This code was adopted in a plenary session on Monday, 24 June marking the first code since the assembly's inception in 1962.
Commitment to implementation
There was a unanimous commitment to implement the newly developed Code of Conduct, ensuring a unified approach to legislative ethics and international best practices.
Strengthening international relations
This trip served to strengthen our relationships with INTER PARES, International IDEA, and the National Assembly of The Gambia, fostering a spirit of cooperation and mutual respect.