Gambia Hosts ACIP Banjul Accord Meeting

The Deputy Permanent Secretary Ministry of Works, Construction and Infrastructure, Nuha Touray, yesterday opened the first meeting of the ACIP Banjul Accord Group Director General of Civil Aviation for the BAGASOO and BAGAIA projects at the Jerma Beach Hotel.

Mr Touray said The Gambia is happy to host this first consultative meeting of its kind for the Banjul Accord Group( BAG) noting that the setting up of a regional Accident  investigation Agency for BAG member states is a historic event.

He commended them for the work being done towards a smooth transition into a regional safety agency for their diligences and commitment that led to the establishment of the BAGASOO and also the BAGAIA.

He stated that the Gambia government through his ministry will give all the necessary support to the BAG to help achieve its objectives.

For his part the director general of the Gambia Civil Aviation Authority ( GCAA) Malick I.M. Cham and head of BAG Secretariat said  in today’s world no other transportation industry has a better safety record than aviation and yet, we cannot afford to stop improving it adding that since its inception in 1997, the BAG group has been working very hard with the commitment to ensure that its most fundamental objectives are  achieved which is to harmonize standards for Aviation safety.

Mr Cham pointed out that the existence of the BAGASOO and BAGAIA will augment the existing resources of participating states to the extent required for the effective discharge of their international obligations in respect of safety oversight and aircraft Accident Investigation.

The two day meeting brought together director generals from the republic of the Nigeria, Liberia, Ghana, Sierra-Leone, and Cape Verde and experts from the legal sub-committee.