Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The Gambia’s prolonged delay in submitting its mandatory national report on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) to the United Nations Security Council 1540 Committee has triggered concern in the National Assembly, with lawmakers questioning the country’s technical readiness to meet its international nuclear obligations.
The matter was raised by Hon. Abdoulie Ceesay, Member for Old Yundum Constituency, who asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad, Serign Modou Njie, to clarify the government’s commitment to strengthening nuclear and radiological security frameworks.
The Gambia has signed and ratified the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) at a high-level ceremony in New York when it opened for signature on 20 September 2017. It was among the original 50 states parties to the treaty when it entered into force on 22 January 2021.
Hence, Hon. Ceesay’s inquiry referenced The Gambia’s ratification of several major international instruments, including the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in 2018, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty in 2022, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, which the country joined in 1975.
He also noted the deposit of The Gambia’s Instrument of Ratification of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Statute in January 2023.
Despite these commitments, the country has yet to submit its required national implementation report under UN Security Council Resolution 1540, a key mechanism designed to prevent the proliferation of nuclear, chemical, and biological weapons to non-state actors.
Responding to the Assembly, Minister Njie acknowledged the delay, attributing it primarily to limited technical capacity and expertise within national institutions.
He explained that the Ministry of Defense,Defense, which serves as the designated national point of contact for Resolution 1540, has engaged the UN Security Council Committee to request sensitisation programmes, capacity-building support, and advisory assistance to improve national reporting systems.
“The Committee has already expressed its readiness to provide the requested assistance, and these activities are expected to be conducted before the end of the second quarter of 2026,” the Minister told lawmakers.
To address coordination gaps, the Minister disclosed that a national disarmament committee has been established, bringing together representatives from defence, foreign affairs, justice, environment, and other key agencies.
The body is tasked with strengthening inter-agency collaboration and ensuring comprehensive and timely reporting on treaty obligations.
However, when pressed for a definitive submission date, the minister cautioned that compiling the national report would require extensive inter-ministerial consultations, data collection, and consolidation of resolution-specific information. As a result, he said, it remains difficult to commit to an exact timeline.
Beyond compliance issues, lawmakers also explored whether The Gambia’s participation in international nuclear frameworks could open pathways for the peaceful use of nuclear technology, particularly in energy production.
In response, Minister Njie affirmed that the government remains committed to pursuing clean nuclear energy strictly within established international protocols, while upholding global disarmament principles and adhering to IAEA safety and regulatory standards.
The 18-year delay has nonetheless heightened calls within the Assembly for greater transparency and sustained capacity-building efforts to ensure that The Gambia fulfills its international reporting obligations while positioning itself to benefit responsibly from peaceful nuclear applications.
