I am Emi Leung from Japan and I am a UN Volunteer Governance Officer with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in The Gambia. My volunteer assignment is funded by the Government of Japan since March 2025. My work centers on one mission: supporting the electoral processes and helping Gambians shape their democracy. After more than 20 years of authoritarian rule, the peaceful transition in 2017 was a historic turning point. But progress remains fragile. Reforms have stalled, politics are deeply polarized, and misinformation is spreading fast. In this landscape, every effort to strengthen electoral processes and civic participation matters.
Working closely with the Independent Electoral Commission, I focus on the next electoral cycle (2026–2027). One of the most rewarding parts of my work has been joining a nationwide training mission across all ten regions of the country.