Implementation of SDGs high on agenda
Minister of State Joseph Harmon
Minister of State Joseph Harmon

– Harmon tells UN forum

GUYANA is actively developing policies and programmes to include the private sector and non-governmental sectors as partners in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This is according to Minister of State Joseph Harmon, during his addresses at the recent 2018 High-Level Political Forum organised under the theme, “Transformation towards sustainable and resilient societies,” held in New York.

In his address, the minister of state said Guyana reaffirms its commitment to the agendas of the SDGs which is over-arching in its national development plans.

“We expect through the execution of the Green State Development Strategy to positively impact our poverty levels, driving them downwards, both nationally and at the local level. In support of these efforts to improve the quality of life of our people, Guyana is also focused on the provision of safe water. A number of communities now have access to safe water, bringing the national average of households with potable water to 98 per cent. We continue to work on reliability of supply,” Minister Harmon said.

Further, the minister of state said access to energy is another area in which Guyana hopes to impact both households and businesses.

“Guyana continues to hold onto the ideal of 100 per cent renewable energy supplies, despite the fact that we are on the cusp of becoming an oil-producing nation. Access to and the availability of sustainable sources of energy is also important as we undertake economic diversification, which is necessary if we are to meaningfully participate in global trade networks,” he said.

Underscoring that Guyana aims to have a vibrant economy by bringing value- added natural and agricultural resources to the global market, Minister Harmon said this will generate employment and reduce poverty while implementing social security programmes for the most vulnerable in society.

“With the assistance of the government of Italy, we are using our hinterland town of Bartica to become a model of sustainable energy production and consumption that we hope will eventually replicate throughout the country. We however ask for more support for efforts to increase trade networks through policies and practical programmes,” Minister Harmon said.

In seeking to achieve the SDG targets in investment in sustainable cities, urban and rural areas, Minister Harmon said Guyana is looking at relevant policies for managing its infrastructural development, including transportation.

“Guyana has a coastline compromising approximately 25 per cent of its land area on which 75 per cent of its population lives. The rest of the country is sparsely populated and is accessible mainly by small aircraft. Reaching the SDG targets in these areas is expensive. We are therefore planning to expand our network of roads and bridges,” Harmon noted.
Adding that Guyana is a low-lying coastline consistently susceptible to flooding, he said the country is pursuing policies of climate mitigation and adaptation.

As such, the necessary governance arrangements are constantly being put in place to enable the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
“Some of these arrangements include our contribution to the global goals, through diligent monitoring of forest-related greenhouse gas emission and conducting vulnerability assessments. We expect through these efforts to be able to mitigate the effects of climate change on our economy and globally,” he explained.

Last week marked the conclusion of the 2018 UN High Level Political Forum. The High-Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development (HLPF) is the central platform which participates in strengthening sustainable development governance within the United Nations. It was created in 2012 as a result of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20), in “The Future We Want” outcome document.

Since 2017, the HLPF has been focusing on monitoring progress and reviewing the implementation of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and the SDGs.
The follow-up and review were carried out for the following SDGs: ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all; ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all; make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable; ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns; protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss; strengthen the means of implementation; and revitalise the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, that will be considered each year.

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