GENEVA – The UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Morris Tidball-Binz, will conduct an official visit to the Republic of The Gambia from 5 to 16 October 2026, at the invitation of the Government.
The Special Rapporteur will assess the protection of the right to life in The Gambia, both in law and in practice, including measures to prevent and investigate potentially unlawful deaths, ensure accountability and effective remedies, and protect the rights of victims and their families to truth, justice, and reparation. The Special Rapporteur will also examine progress since the ongoing country’s democratic transition, including the implementation of recommendations of the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission and the operationalisation of accountability mechanisms.
During the visit, the expert will meet representatives of the Government, National Assembly, the judiciary, prosecutorial and security institutions, independent human rights institutions, as well as regional and international partners, civil society organisations, lawyers, academics, medico-legal and forensic specialists, victims and their families. He will start his visit in Banjul and the Greater Banjul Area and travel to selected locations elsewhere in the country.
The Special Rapporteur, a forensic doctor, aims to identify progress, good practices, remaining challenges and opportunities for practical cooperation, including in relation to independent investigations, forensic identification, and implementation of related international standards, such as the Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Deaths.
The Special Rapporteur will hold a press conference on Friday, 16 October 2026, at 11:30 a.m. at the African Princess Beach Hotel, Serekunda. Access will be limited to journalists.
A report on his visit will be presented to the UN Human Rights Council in June 2027.
