IN a historic move, Guyana has been elected to chair the Group of 77 next year, a move deemed “timely and fitting” by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The state will receive the official handover for the chairmanship in January 2020.
According to a release from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the decision by the G77 and China to elect Guyana to serve as its chair in 2020 is a demonstration of strong support for and confidence in the Co-operative Republic of Guyana.

The election was made at the 22 November plenary of the 134 Member States of the Group. The election was made by acclamation without preconditions.

The Foreign Affairs ministry said that the Guyana’s election to the post follows a decision of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) earlier in 2019 to ensure that a regional candidate assumes chairmanship in 2020 of this largest negotiating group of developing countries in the United Nations. Consequently, for its accession, Guyana received the unequivocal support of CARICOM and the majority of countries in the Group, including from Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America.

“For Guyana’s part, during its Chairmanship, which coincides with the United Nations seventy-fifth anniversary and its national Republic Jubilee, the country is committed to endeavour to strengthen multilateralism for the benefit of all developing countries, including by presiding over global sustainable development and climate change negotiations, and efforts to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation,” the ministry said.

According to the ministry, Guyana’s election as G77 Chair has been hailed as a timely and fitting tribute to all Guyanese with recognition of the good standing and capacity of the country to effectively undertake responsibilities at the highest levels of the international community.

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Karen Cummings, emphasised that, “in keeping with its deep commitment to principled conduct and the rule of law, Guyana will discharge the important responsibilities of the Chairmanship of the G77 and China with integrity, faithfulness to the principles and objectives of the Charter of the United Nations.”
Furthermore, Dr. Cummings noted Guyana’s resolve to use the opportunity to further the interests of all developing countries.

The duties of the Chairmanship will be discharged with the support of a range of bilateral partners and international organisations. Team members will be drawn from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, other Government Ministries and agencies and from the Guyanese diaspora.
Main activities of the group takes place at United Nations Headquarters in New York. G77 Chapters are based in Geneva, Nairobi, Paris, Rome and Vienna, and the closely-allied Intergovernmental Group of Twenty-Four on International Monetary Affairs and Development (G24) in Washington DC.

The official ceremony for the handover of the G77 Chairmanship from the State of Palestine — which served in the capacity in 2019 — to the Co-operative Republic of Guyana will be held on 15 January at United Nations Headquarters in New York.
The G77 was formed in 1964 and its purpose is to provide a forum for developing nations to promote their economic interests.

While 77 nations were the founding members of the group, it later expanded to include other nations. China participates in the meetings of the G77 but is not a member, hence the group is referred to as the G77 and China.