A/HRC/28/6 Introduction 1. The Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review, established in accordance with Human Rights Council resolution 5/1 of 18 June 2007, held its twentieth session from 27 October to 7 November 2014. The review of the Gambia was held at the 3rd meeting on 28 October 2014. The delegation of the Gambia was headed by Basiru V.P. Mahoney, Attorney General and Minister of Justice. At its 10th meeting held on 31 October 2014, the Working Group adopted the report on the Gambia. 2. On 15 January 2014, the Human Rights Council selected the following group of rapporteurs (troika) to facilitate the review of the Gambia: France, Kenya and Maldives. 3. In accordance with paragraph 15 of the annex to resolution 5/1 and paragraph 5 of the annex to resolution 16/21, the following documents were issued for the review of the Gambia: (a) A national report submitted/written presentation made in accordance with paragraph 15 (a) (A/HRC/WG.6/20/GMB/1); (b) A compilation prepared by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in accordance with paragraph 15 (b) (A/HRC/WG.6/20/GMB/2); (c) A summary prepared by OHCHR in accordance with paragraph 15 (c) (A/HRC/WG.6/20/GMB/3). 4. A list of questions prepared in advance by the Czech Republic, Germany, Liechtenstein, Mexico, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was transmitted to the Gambia through the troika. These questions are available on the extranet of the universal periodic review (UPR). I. Summary of the proceedings of the review process A. Presentation by the State under review 5. The delegation of the Gambia started by stating that the country had made great efforts to strengthen human rights in several areas, from education and health, to the rights of women, children, persons with disabilities and fundamental freedoms, while maintaining a balance with security to ensure a stable environment for socio-economic development. 6. The delegation reiterated the particular circumstances of the Gambia that must be borne in mind when considering human rights, notably its size, at barely 11,500 square kilometres, with a population of less than 1.8 million people. It added that the Gambia was a secular State with different religions living together side by side in peace and harmony, as did the several ethnic tribes throughout the country. 7. Regarding access to the justice, the delegation noted that the Government recognized that it was a fundamental right that was necessary for the maintenance of a stable environment for socio-economic development. To that end, several mechanisms have been introduced to improve access to justice, such as the National Agency for Legal Aid (NALA) and the Alternative Dispute Resolution Secretariat (ADRS). The delegation added that the judiciary had continued its decentralization programme with the establishment of Magistrates’ Courts in all regions, and that it was in the process of establishing Cadi Courts and Children’s Courts all over the country as well as more High Courts in addition to the ones in Banjul, Basse and Brikama. 3