Guyana hosts multi-stakeholders consultations ahead of Rio+20
GUYANA’S commitment on sustainable development will not be shaken despite the outcome of Rio+20 second multi-stakeholders’ consultative meeting. This country has affirmed that it is committed to sustainable development regardless of the result of that meting in Rio de Janeiro from June 20 to 22.
The assurances were given by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds,yesterday, at the multi-stakeholders consultative meeting in the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC), Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, in the lead-up to Rio+20.
Delivering the feature address at the forum, he expressed confidence that Guyana has a good case to take to the summit, during which it can also learn from the submissions being made by other participating countries.
He noted that Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), which was pioneered by former President Bharrat Jagdeo, has caught the attention of the world and creates a good reputation for the country and, by extension, all its people.
“I see the recent developments, starting from the environment and climate change in particular, as having social and political implications as we go forward to resolve the issues of climate change,” Mr. Hinds said.
Looking forward
He said Guyana is looking forward to support a responsible approach from the developing countries as they go forward to the summit, as their awareness of climate is one of the most critical implications in addressing the issue.
He is hopeful that, at the end of the year, steps can be taken to achieve the agreements that may be reached at the summit.
Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources, Mr. Robert Persaud said Guyana opined that the global community is tired of the inspirational tone that comes out of the different conferences, pointing to the one in Copenhagen, Denmark and the Durban, South Africa meeting last December.
While the conference in Rio takes on a huge objective and focuses on promoting sustainable development and looking at some key areas, there is not much optimism that there will be the types of decisions and commitment and firm resolve to take the necessary actions required, he said.
Persaud recalled that, at the1992 Rio Summit, one of the major outcomes was the agreement on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which, subsequently, gave birth to the Kyoto Protocol in 1997.
He said: “As we move into Rio, there is not much discussion on climate change. In fact, those two words were avoided so as to avoid any confusion, disagreement or fallouts and was certainly a sad reality.”
Despite what has happened in the past, Guyana is still approaching Rio with some sense of hopefulness that the outcome will inject life into the discourse that deals with the subject of climate change, Persaud said.
He remarked that Guyana has fulfilled and, in some cases, exceeded its commitment made and, in terms of leadership in environmental and climate change and what it has done in developing the overall framework in sustainable development.
According to him: “Whether we don’t have the commitment that we would all want, Guyana’s commitment remains unshaken in this regard. We are on an irreversible track along a low carbon path and we remain committed to our international commitment that we have made and we will also abide by our national policy that we have articulated.”
Has honoured
Advisor to the President on Science and Sustainable Development, Mr. Navin Chandarpal said Guyana’s record has shown that it has honoured the commitment made in the past.
He said Guyana has had to take steps to ensure that development takes place without harming the environment and implemented a number of critical programmes, institutions, legislative frameworks that laid the basis for a continuous change.
Chandarpal said he is approaching Rio+20 Summit with mixed feelings, since, coming 20 years after the last one, provides the opportunity for reinvigoration of the spirit that existed and would allow for the basis of cooperation among developed and developing States, to clearly see that there is no solution and no way forward unless there is that cooperation.
Addressing the forum, too, Head of the Climate Change Unit at Office of the President, Mr. Shyam Nokta reported that Guyana has made tremendous progress since the last Rio summit in 1992.
He cited the LCDS as one such achievement, which seeks to reconcile two global forces, often deemed incompatible, economic development and combating climate change.
Nokta said Guyana is expecting that Rio+20 will be an opportunity for global leadership and to take stock of what has been achieved in the last 20 years, since the ‘Earth Summit’ in Rio 1992.
In addition, this country is also expecting the opportunities to push the theme of the green economy and shift the momentum of leadership on sustainable development and climate change. It will also be approaching the summit having conceptualised and implemented one of the most comprehensive attempts at a national scale ‘Green Economy Strategy.’
“We will be going to Rio having commenced implementing the second largest interim REDD+ mechanism in the world and one of the only few countries  to receive payments for REDD+,” Nokta informed, adding there are valuable experiences which Guyana will be sharing as part of its programme of activities.
He credited much of what Guyana has achieved in this regard to former President Bharrat Jagdeo, while he did not fail to recognise the commitment and leadership demonstrated by current President Donald Ramotar.
Important achievements
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Coordinator and Representative, Ms. Khadejia Musa commended Guyana for the work it has done in the area of sustainable development, agreeing that there are important achievements of which it can be proud.
She posited that development is about change and sustainable development is about lasting change, while the goal is to ensure a future for all.
Guyana must bear in mind that it must deliver on the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs), while moving towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In addition, it must take into consideration that finance for development must be revisited, governance matters and the fact that leveraging knowledge and innovation will deliver results.
At the Rio+20 Conference, world leaders, along with thousands of participants from governments, the Private Sector, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other groups, will come together to shape how poverty can be reduced, social equity advanced and environmental protection ensured on an ever more crowded planet, to get the future it wants.
The conference will focus on a green economy in the context of sustainable development, poverty eradication and an institutional framework for sustainable development.