THERE has been a lack of political will on the part of the international community as it relates to assisting small-island and developing countries with low coastlands, and pledges of support over the years.

But then the same political will does not exist on the home-front.
Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Robert Persaud made a call for this political will at home when he addressed scores of participants at the Office of the President- led multi-stakeholder consultation yesterday at the Regency Suites,  that began preparation for Guyana’s report to the Third International Conference on Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
That forum will be held in Samoa in 2014, even as a regional report is set to be crafted in July of this year, as part of the efforts to inform the confab.
Persaud used the opportunity to highlight some achievements made by Guyana towards its goals as it relates to the sustainable development efforts, but also used the opportunity to point out the debilitating effects of the recent considerations of the national estimates in the National Assembly.
He said that many of the projects under Guyana’s sustainable development drive would have fallen victim to the opposition’s ‘proverbial scissors,’ telling stakeholders, inclusive of Vice Chair of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Dr Rupert Roopnarine, “when we talk about political will, it is not about saying it, but supporting it.”
He said that Guyana, as a country, would be “wanting if we bemoan that there is a lack of political will,” in the international community, while on the home front “we don’t demonstrate the type of political will…there also has to be that level of  political will consistently as we seek to address the issues.”
He urged the stakeholders to ensure that as Guyana prepares its report to the international discussion on the sustainable developments of SIDS and countries with low lying coastland, “we make our country a shining example when we report that we have been able to honour our commitments and meet targets.”
In seeking to point out that there is still a number of targets to be achieved by countries across the developing world on the issue of sustainable development, Persaud emphasized that “issues such as this are not partisan and will affect all our people, regardless of the beliefs we hold or who you support, that is why when we have these forums it is important for us to reinforce that collective will.”
The minster, who holds the responsibility for Natural Resources and the Environment, reiterated that “there must be consistent political will if Guyana is to make the type of advances necessary.”
Presidential Advisor  Dr Navin Chanderpal , who also presented an overview of matters to be dealt with in preparing Guyana’s report for the international community, urged frank discussions, reminding participants of the importance of SIDS and countries such as Guyana to create a national setting for the agendas to be pursued.
He reminded that despite the best efforts of SIDS with their limited resources, fragile economies and vulnerability to natural disasters, “they can only move with the assistance of the international community.”
Emphasizing the need for countries such as Guyana and SIDS to push its agenda, Chandarpal used the opportunity to point out instances where developed countries would take decisions at one forum in support of developing countries, while at another forum, such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), converse decisions are taken and enacted.
He used as an example one such decision that almost crippled the economy of Dominica, when a WTO decision, spearheaded by the developed world, severely impacted its export of bananas.
Lauding Guyana’s efforts was United Nation’s Development Fund Resident Representative, Kadija Musa, who also participated in the consultation.
She reminded that “what affects island states will definitely come your way, so it’s important for Guyana to participate.”
She too underscored the need for greater political will, saying that this is among the key objectives being pushed for at the upcoming conference.
Musa indicated also that the confab will be pressing for practical and pragmatic actions and reiterated the UNDP’s recognition of Guyana and other Caribbean SIDS role in pressing a global agenda.