The United Nations Children Fund UNICEF Country Representative Ms. Min Whee Kan on Friday paid a courtesy call on The Gambia Committee on Traditional Practices (GAMCOTAP).

The meeting was meant to strengthen partnership between the two child friendly organisations.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Isatou Touray the Executive Director of GAMCOTRAP hailed the UNICEF boss for the visit.

“We feel that we are part of UNICEF because even the first vehicle of this organisation was donated to us by UNICEF,” says Dr. Touray.

“Your coming here is very important because we are all talking about women and children” she said.

She acknowledges the good work UNICEF is doing in the country.

For her part, Ms. Kan revealed that the strength of her organisations’ activities is based on partnership.

She stressed that if we do not invest in children they would not be productive in future.

According to her, the UN system has a zero tolerance on FGM and FDC. She calls for legislation in the country on FGM to protect innocent children from the harmful practice. Peoples' will, needs to be represented in democracy, she added.

UNICEF boss also refute the recent comments made by Sheikh Sedia Ceesay on The Point promoting FGM. She described the comments as “confusing and misleading”.

According to her, UNICEF has consulted so many renowned Muslim scholars in the world on the subject who came up with the consensus that the practice has no religious doctrine.