The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in collaboration with the Government of the Gambia, held, last Wednesday, a one-day sensitization workshop on Rapid Advisory and Capacity Development Facility Project (RACDF), at the Corinthia Atlantic Hotel in Banjul.

The workshop comes at a time of growing interest in critical issues relating to poverty reduction, social protection and strengthening of systems to enhance the productive capacities and sustainable livelihoods support in the Gambia, as the Government of The Gambia and UNDP signed a new programme (2007-2011).

In his statement, Mamour A. Jagne, Programme Specialist (Poverty), said that UNDP mandate is to work with government and people of the Gambia in order to achieve the country's development objectives. He noted that the Country Programme Document (CPD), which is scheduled for 2007-2011, is divided into poverty reduction and attainment of the MDGs. He and government and human right however, this year's alone they are pledging some $5m at the disposal of the Gambia's development activities, he said.

He added that, the project seeks to address emerging capacity development challenges of the Gambia within the framework of the Regional Bureau for Africa Strategy on Capacity Development for Pro-Poor Growth and Accountability (CD-PGA).

In his presentation, Alhagie Nyangado, Office of the President, said that RACDF constitutes a window for funding interventions and contributes to the achievement of MDGs in developing national capacities, promoting national ownership, advocating for enhanced national policy environment, promoting gender equity, and forging strategic partnership.