These Consultations were part of the broader National Consultation and Awareness Process which followed the launch of the Low Carbon Development Strategy on 8 June, 2009.

The Multi-Stakeholder Steering Committee, which is chaired by President Jagdeo has been meeting weekly.

The Committee is broad based and includes representatives from Government, youth, women, private sector, indigenous NGOs, conservation NGOs, forestry, mining, and the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).

In response to the a request from the Government of Guyana to the Government of Norway for an international monitoring team to assist with the process, IIED was selected to provide oversight for the LCDS, including monitoring of the consultations and other public dissemination and to provide advice for a free, open and transparent procedure.

IIED has since provided a Conceptual Process Framework as a guide which has been accepted by the Steering Committee. The National Consultations and Awareness Process is being implemented in accordance with this Framework (available on the LCDS web site).

The full record and report of the discussions and responses at the launch of the LCDS, the sub-national consultations and awareness sessions are presented to the Steering Committee and uploaded to the LCDS web site www.lcds.gov.gy and are available for public scrutiny and comments.

These reports are comprehensive and provide not only questions, comments and suggestions but also responses from the consultation teams.

Since the launch of the LCDS on June 8th, 2009, there have been 15 sub-national consultations across the country at which 222 communities (coastal and Amerindian) were present and 2,939 persons attended.
This is summarized below:

For each of these meetings, the consultation team was drawn from representatives from Government (Prime Minister Sam Hinds, Ministers Robert Persaud, Dr. Ashni Singh, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran, Dr. Jennifer Westford, Pauline Sukhai, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and Jennifer Webster, Shyam Nokta, Andrew Bishop, James Singh, William Woolford, Nigel Dharamlall); IIED (Jocelyn Dow, Vanda Radzik); TAAMOG (Peter Persaud, Pamela Mendonca); NADF (Romel Simon, Ashton Simon); and David James. Personnel from the Office of Climate Change were also present and performed the functions of rapporteurs. Other members of the Multi Stakeholder Steering Committee also participated in the consultations.

A series of awareness activities are ongoing, including responding to requests for presentations by interest groups, organizations and the public at large.

The official web site of the LCDS process is www.lcds.gov.gy. To give effect to the Steering Committee’s commitment to transparency, accuracy and timely feedback, the Office of Climate Change (based at the Office of the President) urges all persons who may have queries, views, advice and any other input on the LCDS, apart from making these public through the numerous available communication channels, to make use of this website.

Persons who wish to comment on the draft LCDS may also contact us by mail, telephone or email as follows:

Office of Climate Change

Office of the President

Shiv Chanderpaul Drive

Georgetown

Tel. 223 5205 or 223 5231
Email: info@lcds.gov.gy
www.lcds.gov.gy

Members of the Multi-Stakeholder Steering Committee

His Excellency President Jagdeo Office of the President

Minister Robert Persaud Ministry of Agriculture

Minister Pauline Sukhai Ministry of Amerindian Affairs

Dr. Roger Luncheon Office of the President

Michael Brotherson Office of the President

Andrew Bishop Office of the President

Shyam Nokta Office of the President

James Singh Guyana Forestry Commission

Hilbertus Cort Forest Producers Association (FPA)

Dr. Dindyal Permaul Ministry of Agriculture

William Woolford Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC)

Indarjit Ramdass Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Gerry Gouveia Private Sector Commission (PSC)

Peter Persaud The Amerindian Action Movement of Guyana (TAAMOG)

Pamela Mendonca The Amerindian Action Movement of Guyana (TAAMOG

Ashton Simon The National Amerindian Development Foundation (NADF)

Mimi Fernandes Guyana Organisation of Indigenous Peoples (GOIP)

Sydney Allicock North Rupununi District Development Board (NRDDB)

Jocelyn Dow International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)

Vanda Radzik International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED)

Hymawattie Lagan Women’s Affairs Bureau (WAB)

Alfred King Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and President’s Youth Award Republic of Guyana (PYARG)

Gillian Burton Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC)

Carvil Duncan Federation of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG)

Edward Shields Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA)

Dr. David Singh Conservation International (CI)

Dr. Patrick Williams World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

Maj. Gen (rtd) Joe Singh Individual Capacity

David James Individual Capacity