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Speaking at the launch of a new website, by the United Nations Country Team–Guyana, in Main Street Avenue, Georgetown, on the occasion of UN Day, he said this country is doing its best to attain all the goals by 2015 and hopes to have universal secondary education, as well.“The work of the UN has been extremely important and invaluable in bringing peace to many regions of the world. The UN is more than that, they have recognised that, to keep peace, we have to fight against not only injustice (but) against poverty (and) against many of the global problems that are today afflicting our planet,” the Head of State posited.
President Ramotar said that: “Fighting poverty is also a big issue and the UN has identified education as an important weapon in fighting poverty.
“Countries that are doing well are countries where you have a more highly educated population and (education) is, therefore, vital and one of the most important human rights that we can give our young people.”
Mr. Ramotar also used the occasion to congratulate the workers of the UN and hailed those who lost their lives in different places trying to secure peace and advance the cause of humanity.
67th anniversary
The world body marked its 67th anniversary Wednesday and its Resident Coordinator in Guyana, Ms. Khadija Musa shared a message from the UN Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon, who exhorted the international community and individuals to reaffirm their individual commitment and collective resolve to live up to the ideals of the UN and build a better world for all.
Mr. Ban said that extreme poverty has been cut in half since the year 2000.
“Democratic transitions are underway in many countries and there are encouraging signs of economic growth across the developing world,” the diplomat reported.
October 24 has been celebrated as UN Day since 1948, marking the anniversary of the 1945 entry into force of the UN Charter.
President Ramotar and Musa officially launched the new website:www.unitednationsgy.org.
Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, who was also present at the event, said: “Since Guyana has joined the internal global family of nations in committing to achieving the MDGs, we have, periodically, been doing assessments of progress and the most recent is captured in the 2011 MDG report which was published in September.
Tremendous progress
It is available for public perusal on the Ministry of Finance website and Minister Singh said goals have been achieved in primary education and there has been tremendous progress in water and sanitation, environment, gender equality and in a number of the health indicators.
“We are reducing the incidence of poverty (and from) the general picture emerging (Guyana) is on course to achieving all the MDGs by 2015,” the Finance Minister said.
He acknowledged that there are challenges in some areas, particularly health but said Guyana is not perilously close to not achieving them.
The Finance Minister said, in order for Guyana to keep the momentum and to continue to record progress, the government reoriented the budget to emphasise health, water and education, housing and sanitation and it is this reorientation that has made it possible for Guyana to achieve the gains made.
According to him, in order for the momentum gained, so far, to be sustained, Guyana’s development partners have an important role in ensuring that they deliver on their obligations and their commitments to the country.
At a UN summit held in 2000, eight MDGs were agreed on by world leaders, which set specific targets on poverty alleviation, education, gender equality, child and maternal health, environmental stability, HIV/AIDS reduction and a ‘Global Partnership for Development’ with an achievement deadline of 2015.
