Brussels 23, September 2014/ ACP: The Gambia’s new ambassador in Brussels, H.E Mrs. Teneng Mba Jaiteh, made her maiden speech to the ACP Committee of Ambassadors on Thursday 18 September, underlining solidarity as a matter of priority in advancing sustainable development amongst the 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific member states.

“The Republic of the Gambia fully recognizes the important of the work of the ACP Group, and this we will continue to demonstrate for as long as the unity of the Group continues to be the guiding principle to our collective actions,” she told fellow ambassadors.

Ambassador Jaiteh, who is concurrently accredited to Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, cited various vulnerabilities collectively faced by ACP countries, such as exposure to the effects of the global financial crisis, climate change, high levels of poverty, food insecurity and disease.

“The ebola outbreak in our sub-region, which our governments are grappling with, is a clear manifestation of this vulnerability,” she added.

“My delegation shares the conviction that with 79 countries from all three regions, the ACP Group should be able to wield enormous influence within the international community, and endeavour to create better and faster opportunities for growth and inclusive development for all.”

As Gambia’s former Minister for Energy (2012 to 2014) and before that Minister for Petroleum, Ambassador Jaiteh holds expertise in national development planning and international economic relations; poverty and gender related development issues; strategic planning; institutional management and governance of development programmes. Having entered the civil service in 1989, she has held prominent government posts, including Secretary General and Head of the Civil Service, as well as Secretary to the Cabinet in the President's Office.

Ambassador Jaiteh assured the assembly of her support for the discussions on the future of the ACP Group, currently handled by the ACP Eminent Persons Group as well as the ambassadorial Working Group on Future Perspectives.

- ACP Press