Government Withdraws Support for ACHPR The Independent (Banjul) NEWS October 18, 2002 Posted to the web October 18, 2002 By Omar Bah Banjul The APRC government has withdrawn support for the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights (ACHPR), which has its headquarters in Banjul. According to ACHPR officials who called a press conference Wednesday to announce the government's decision to withdraw its support in the form of monetary assistance for the Commission to hold an international conference at the Kairaba Beach Hotel. The officials in what could pass of as a protest said the government's action has temporarily stalled the holding of the ordinary session of the Commission to whose protocols the government is a signatory. According to the protocols, all states of the African Union, which are parties to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights are mandated by the Commission to provide office and conference facilities for its works in their respective countries. The dismay of the Commission's officials was evident at the press briefing. Germain Baricako, the Commission's Secretary told journalists that as a result of the government withdrawal of support a two-week conference by the Commission has been reduced to a one-day programme. 'It is humanly impossible to cancel the session, as state delegates have already arrived in the country to attend the conference', he said, although the time would be inadequate to discuss pertinent issues. Asked what was the reason forwarded by the government for its decision Mr. Baricako, said, the only reason advanced was financial difficulty. But he declined to comment, when quizzed on whether the government had notified them of its financial problems. On what action the Commission was going to take against The Gambia government for neglecting its part of the protocols committing it to supporting the Commission he said they were expecting the government to be cognizant of their obligations and would change tack soon. The mandate of the Commission includes the promotion through information and education, institutional cooperation, consultative and near legislative functions and supervisory functions. It also ensures the protection of human and peoples' rights under the conditions and procedures laid down by the African Charter and the Commission's rules of procedures. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to: [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~