Ministry of Foreign Affairs Strategic Plan 2018 -2022

OBJECTIVE

To bring about international actions through proactive diplomacy that advance the national interests of The Gambia and her citizens including those in the diaspora, as well as to make a contribution to building a world community in which there is enduring peace and security, expanding freedom and lasting prosperity.

CONTENT

 The Goals and Objectives of the Strategic Plan are as follows:

Goal 1: To generate and detail a foreign policy that is capable of bringing about international actions through proactive diplomacy that advance the national interests of The Gambia and her citizens including those in the Diaspora.

• I. Objective 1.1: By June 2019, to undertake a critical review of the overall national interest of The Gambia in such as ensuring the sustenance of national sovereignty, overall security and stability and determine in readiness for the review of this strategic plan the structure of The Gambia’s foreign policy relations with other nations and organisations and the distribution of foreign missions to bring it about.
• II. Objective 1.2: By June 2019, to undertake multi-sectoral consultations with both private and public sectors to determine what the sectors look for in a foreign policy and how the MOFA and foreign policy relations must be conducted to present The Gambia as a nation of socioeconomic growth and opportunities.
• III. Objective 1.3: By December 2021, to undertake a study on sectorial requirements of and debates in generating and detailing The Gambia’s foreign policy to form the basis of foreign relations with neighbours and organisations based on friendly relations of non-alignment - this should include specific relation imperatives on the immediate neighbourhood (Senegal, Guinea Bissau and Mauritania).

Goal 2: To build and sustain an effective diplomatic infrastructure that along with other nations and organisations will make meaningful contributions to building a world community in which there is enduring peace and security, expanding freedom and lasting prosperity.

• I. Objective 2.1: By June 2019, to consult and generate a baseline foreign relations infrastructure based on proactive diplomacy that will recognise and disaggregate The Gambia’s interest from the perspectives of the immediate neighbours (Senegal and Guinea Bissau), ECOWAS, AU and the larger global community, including the multitude of multilateral organisations around the world.
• II. Objective 2.2: By June 2020, working with the private sector and NGO community, to generate a mutually respectable way by which national institutions for democracy, good governance, the rule of law and human rights and investment stability and expansion are ensured and made possible so that a platform for cooperative maintenance of democracy and national security is made possible and that The Gambia is able to forestall its coveted investment destination possibilities.

Goal 3: To build, sustain and restructure the capacity of MOFA to ensure effective and efficient services to the Ministry’s stakeholders both locally and abroad.

• I. Objective 3.1: By December 2018, to conduct an institutional and staff capacity needs assessment of MOFA and missions abroad with a view to enhancing their effectiveness and efficiency – feasibility and structure of a Foreign Service cadre.
• II. Objective 3.2: By December 2022, fully implement the recommendations of MOFA’s restructuring process - diplomatic missions abroad and spatial distribution and staffing needs based on the larger need of serving The Gambia’s foreign relations to inform the need to reform the Ministry.
• III. Objective 3.3: By March 2019, to establish and commence regular meetings with key government stakeholders such as MOFEA, MOTIE, National Assembly, MOI, MOD, MOJ, MOHERST and MOTC for the exchange of ideas on key foreign issues related to their respective mandates and development of comprehensive and coherent international cooperation policy and strategy for national development.
• IV. Objective 3.4: By January 2019, commence periodic meetings of Ambassadors and Heads of Missions and other collaborating agencies.
• V. Objective 3.5: By January 2019, institute a comprehensive Foreign Service career development and retention programme for MOFA staff.
• VI. Objective 3.6: By December 2018, review departmental/unit and staff TORs/JDs in accordance with the proposed organisational structure and requirements of MOFA.
• VII. Objective 3.7: By March 2019, establish a library in MOFA