Patrick Grady – 2015 Parliamentary Question to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Patrick Grady on 2015-12-14.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the human rights situation in The Gambia.

James Duddridge

The UK remains concerned about The Gambia’s human rights record. We are the only EU Member State with a resident Ambassador and have a leading role in pressing the Gambian government for improved respect for human rights. We welcome some recent positive steps taken by President Jammeh, such as banning Female Genital Mutilation and the unconditional release of over 300 prisoners – including 60 high profile political prisoners. However, more needs to be done. Through our bilateral dialogue, and alongside EU partners, we will continue to make clear to the Government of The Gambia the need for further progress on its human rights record.