PRIME Minister Moses Nagamootoo has assured leaders of the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) that the Government of Guyana is committed to safe and responsible mining practices in areas close to our indigenous villages.Prime Minister Nagamootoo recently met with the organisation’s President Ms Jean La Rose and Laura George, the Programme Assistant. He noted that the Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman, the subject minister with responsibility for mining, was visiting communities such as Jawalla and Isseneru, where reports of the erosion of river banks and pollution of river water have surfaced.

The APA leaders said they are heartened at the commitment of the Prime Minister to a policy for safe mining that protects both the environment and the communities. “We do support a holistic approach in trying to reduce impacts and to ensure that there are equitable benefit-sharing in the communities, and for the use of best practices”, said Laura George, the Programme Assistant of APA.

The APA hopes to be an Observer at the Fourth Negotiations of the Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) of European Union Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (EUFLEGT) between the Government of Guyana and the European Union (EU) scheduled for November 30 to December 4, 2015. The organisation has been supporting the discussions and plans on highlighting certain crucial concerns of the indigenous peoples.

The two-member delegation emphasised the importance of completion of the land-titling process as well as safe mining practices in the lives of the indigenous peoples. The APA has also sent a representative to participate in this year’s Climate Change Conference in Paris. “We are prepared to work towards a ‘green economy’ as is being promoted by the Government of Guyana under the principles of good governance,” Ms George assured.

Only last week Minister Trotman directed that mining works be immediately ceased by the operator of a water dredge in the area at Isseneru, pending a fact-finding mission to be conducted by the ministry. The order followed concerns and complaints from the Toshao and representatives of the village of Isseneru, Region 7. The Department of Natural Resources and the Environment had said that it will be fielding a team of relevant authorities and stakeholders to assess the water quality and other issues and concerns related to pollution and adherence to boundary laws. This will allow for a final decision to be taken in this matter.

Village leaders of Isseneru have publicly raised a number of concerns on the health and well-being of residents, especially the children, since a number of mining concessions are being operated in close proximity to their village. The government has undertaken the task of addressing the issue of land management and the distribution of lands for various sectors in a holistic manner, with the intention of creating a National Land Use Policy to prevent these occurrences.