GUYANA’S President Bharrat Jagdeo has been named the world’s first Goodwill Ambassador for tropical rainforests by leaders of the Amazonian, Congo and Borneo-Mekong basins meeting in Congo’s capital, Brazzaville.
The proposal that he should be so named came from President of the Republic of Congo and host of the meeting, Dennis Sasso Nguesso, and is in recognition of the Guyanese President’s global leadership on forest and climate change issues.
Though not a full-time position, the Goodwill Ambassadorship will take effect when President Jagdeo demits office as president following the holding of general and regional elections here.
The announcement was greeted by thunderous applause by delegates attending the meeting during the closing session Friday.
In 2010, President Jagdeo earned the title of the United Nations Champion of the Earth.
Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud, who has responsibility for forests, accompanied President Jagdeo to the summit.
Guyana’s Low-Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) received high praise at the forum and its efforts in the international arena to combat climate change were recognized.
Guyana, in turn, has offered to work with other countries with their climate change efforts.
The Amazon, Congo, and Borneo-Mekong, three tropical forest basins of the world, account for 80% of the world’s tropical forests and two thirds of terrestrial biodiversity.
These basins are not only important to the extensive forest and biodiversity resources that they hold, but more importantly are also recognized as a source of livelihood for more than one billion people.
Leaders from countries in the Amazon, Borneo, Mekong and Congo Basins held a week-long meeting last week in Congo at the Brazzaville Tropical Forest Summit to find shared solutions to save their forests, and support the fight against the devastating consequences of climate change.
The conclusion of that meet saw progress on sustainable management and restoration of forests through an agreement on a joint declaration. The discussions will continue at the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) meeting in November 2011, and next year’s Earth Summit in Rio, Brazil. By then, leaders will have committed to an official cooperative agreement on forest preservation.
The Amazon Basin includes territory belonging to nine nations, namely: Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana.
The countries within the Congo Basin are Angola, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, the Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Zambia.  Borneo is made up of three countries, namely: Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia, while the Mekong region is made up of China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, and Cambodia. (GINA)