A UNITED Nations Development Programme (UNDP) expert team is in Guyana to explore how constitutional reform could be realised. According to a release, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Coordinator of Governance, Tamara Khan, met with the United Nations delegation, which is in Guyana until February 10 to meet various stakeholders.
The current UNDP mission comprises Gerardo Noto, Rohan Edrisinha and Jason Gluck, all of whom are UN constitutional consultants.
The release noted that UN Resident Coordinator, Mikiko Tanaka, and Deputy Resident Coordinator Shabnam Mallick, are also working with the mission team.
The terms of reference (ToR) between the Government of Guyana, the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Department of Political Affairs (UNDPA), has outlined the scope of the constitutional reform needs assessment mission.
It covers assessment of the political environment in Guyana and the legal and institutional framework governing the constitutional reform process; review past reform processes; evaluate the interest, capacity and roles of the various civil and political stakeholders in engaging in the constitutional reform process; and assess the potential role of UNDP-UNDPA in assisting this process and resources required.
The UNDP-UNDPA team will sit with a broad base of stakeholders to gain pertinent feedback for the needs of the various civil society actors in the process of constitutional reform.
The team has requested meetings with the Leader of the Opposition and the People’s Progressive Party; the Speaker of the National Assembly; the National Toshaos Council Chairman; trade unions; the Rights Commissions; Private Sector Commission; religious bodies; the Guyana Bar Association; international partners and several other civil society bodies.
During consideration of the 2016 budget, the Prime Minister disclosed that the process of constitutional reform must forge ahead in 2017 and that various partners, including the UNDP and UNICEF, have assured assistance.
As a preparatory step, a Steering Committee on Constitutional Reform (SCCR) headed by Attorney Nigel Hughes was set up on September 1, 2015. The committee’s report was submitted to the Prime Minister on April 30, 2016 and subsequently laid before Cabinet for studied discussions.
A Constitutional Reform Consultative Commission Bill was drafted and is now the subject of further Cabinet deliberations.
The release also noted that subsequently, the Carter Center came on board as a partner in the constitutional reform process.
Prime Minister Nagamootoo has started talks, on programme support in general, and constitutional reform in particular with the UNDP as far back as July 23, 2015, when he met with UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Regional Director for Latin America, Jessica Faieta, and then UNDP Resident Representative Khadija Musa.