Minister of Social Protection, Volda Lawrence and Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Jaipaul Sharma are representing Guyana at the Eighth Ministerial Forum for Development in Latin America and the Caribbean being held the Dominican Republic.

A release from the Ministry of Social Protection noted that the two-day Santo Domingo meeting began on Monday to provide ministers and decision-makers a space to discuss social policy experiences and identify answers to the region’s new challenges. The Ministers delivered a joint presentation on Guyana’s situation on the first day of the conference, inclusive of Government’s effort to boost socio-economic development.

“United Nations Development Administrator Helen Clark noted that this Ministerial Forum will address three aspects of the challenges by countries. They will look at how countries in the region are looking beyond Gross Domestic Product when measuring development progress; exchange experiences of how countries are taking on board the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; and take stock of current social protection efforts in the region and of the dynamics of current poverty reduction approaches,” the release noted.

Ministers Lawrence and Sharma will also participate in the First Meeting of the Presiding Officers of the Regional Conference on Social Development in Latin America and the Caribbean while in the Dominican Republic.