The Gambia has reiterated its strong commitment to humanitarian disarmament and the protection of civilians as the Third Review Conference of States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions opened in Vientiane, Lao PDR.
Speaking at the conference, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Mrs. Rohey Bittaye Darboe, underscored that safeguarding human life and dignity must remain central to global efforts aimed at ending the suffering caused by cluster munitions.
Mrs. Darboe reminded delegates that The Gambia has never produced, acquired, or stockpiled cluster munitions. The country ratified the Convention in 2018, a move she described as a clear demonstration of The Gambia’s humanitarian principles. She emphasized that this position extends beyond treaty obligations, reflecting the nation’s conviction that protecting civilians and preventing human suffering is a shared responsibility.
Calling for renewed international efforts towards the universalisation of the Convention, she urged countries that remain outside the treaty to consider joining. She also highlighted the urgent need for greater support to affected nations, particularly in clearance operations, risk education, and assistance to victims and survivors.
“Humanitarian disarmament is ultimately about people,” Mrs. Darboe stressed, noting that communities impacted by explosive remnants of war must not be forgotten long after conflicts have ended.
She further emphasized that the success of the Convention should not be measured merely by the number of States Parties or conferences held, but by the tangible impact of collective action, more lives protected, more communities made safe, and more survivors supported.
The Gambia, she concluded, remains firmly committed to the vision of a world free from cluster munitions a safer world for civilians, a stronger adherence to humanitarian law, and a better future for generations to come.
