HIS POLITICAL opponents may not be pleased with the news on two fronts last week involving President Bharrat Jagdeo. But deserved credits ought not to be expediently ignored.
The news, as reported, relate first to the choice of the Guyana Head of State as roving ambassador for a trio of the world’s largest forest basins — those of the Amazon, Congo and the Borneo-Mekong.
That honour was conferred on President Jagdeo at the closing session of the week-long conference in Brazzaville, capital of the Congo, at which protection of the world’s forest reserves, as a core feature in the battle against the negative consequences of climate change, was the central focus.
The ambassadorial appointment would objectively be viewed as a welcome response to growing international recognition of the commitment of the Guyana Government, under the leadership of President Jagdeo, to pursue with imagination and vigour protection of our nation’s rainforest as a courageous partner in the fight against the social and economic consequences of climate change.
Coincidentally, as the announcement of the appointment of President Jagdeo as ambassador-at-large for the three largest forest basins was being disclosed in an official declaration at the conference in Brazzaville, Norway’s Environment Minister, Erik Solheim, was reaffirming his government’s confidence in the “transparency process” in the implementation of the forest preservation agreement between his country and Guyana.
The Norwegian Environment Minister’s declaration of mutual confidence in the forest development project is a shining example of international cooperation to battle climate change, and was given in response to a letter of concerns raised by two opposition parliamentarians and some members identified with civil society groups.
Having deliberately ignored the explanations and assurances given by the Guyana Government, through its Office of Climate Change (OCC), the civil society representatives and the two MPs would have learnt from the written response by Minister Solheim of the reaffirmation of his government’s confidence in the implementation process of this major forest protection project in which Norway has committed to provide financial aid worth US$250 million (approximately G$51.07 billion) up to 2015.
It is a grave pity when elements and forces in a democratic society choose to allow narrow political considerations to take precedence over the best interest of this nation, whose people stand to greatly benefit from this enlightened partnership project between Guyana and Norway.
Let it be stated for the record that this visionary project will remain one of the more outstanding legacies of outgoing President Bharrat Jagdeo — now chosen as a roving ambassador for the world’s three major forest basins. It is a credit to the nation of Guyana. And, along with the expressed confidence of Norway in continuing pursuit of the forest preservation project, it represents good news on two fronts for the Guyanese people.