In The Gambia, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has established an annual ëSpeedy Access to Justiceí forum, to facilitate access to justice, particularly for detainees.

Following prison inspections in 2021, the NHRC created this annual forum as a means of ensuring access to justice, especially for those deprived of their liberty. The multistakeholder ëSpeedy Access to Justiceí conference ñ which brings together the judiciary, the Gambia Bar Association, the National Agency for Legal Aid, the Prison Service, the ministries of justice and interior, and other relevant stakeholders ñ develops and adopts recommendations to strengthen access to justice in The Gambia, principally for the benefit of detainees.

This example highlights the role that ombuds institutions can play in strengthening accountability in the security sector, in furtherance of SDG 16.6 on developing transparent, effective, and accountable institutions.