The Gambia

Amend all laws that restrict freedom of expression, both online and offline in order to bring national legal provisions into line with international standards under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

This small west African country with a population of 2 million people expected a new dawn for reforms in civil rights after the 2016 election that ended the two decade ruling of former president Yahya Jammeh. Although journalists and media experienced a more open environment, a number of laws still restrict freedom of expression and some groups including women and LGBTQ are facing descrimination. Actions since the 2016 transition of power are encouraging, including the Supreme Court’s ruling that a number of articles of the 2013 Information and Communication Act were unconstitutional. However, there remains an urgent need for the new administration and the Constitutional Review Commission to take concrete action to consolidate The Gambia’s human rights progress.

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    13.8%

    Households with internet access in 2017

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    19.8%

    Individuals using internet in 2017

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    0.2

    Fixed Broadband Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants in 2017

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    50/180

    Press Freedom Ranking in 2022

Upr cycle

The Gambia was last reviewed in November 2019. Their next review is in 23 months, which is scheduled for November 2024. It is currently in the Mid-term reporting phase of its UPR cycle. To find out more about the UPR lifecycle click on the Uproar Tools button

Digital Rights and Free Expression Recommendations

Cycle 1
02
16
Cycle 2
05
19
Cycle 3
08
19
Cycle 4

Resources

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      Partner organisations

      Over a hundred local and international human rights organisations are part of the wider Uproar programme. You can find them listed here.

      The Gambia cluster

      The country clusters are a local working group in each Uproar target country made up of our partner organisations. The clusters are organised by local lead organisations, who then coordinate local civil society and human rights defenders with digital rights expertise to engage in national-level advocacy and campaigning.