…Min. Foreign Affairs points to restoration of LGEs, freedom of the press

MUCH progress has been made in consolidating democratic norms and the rule of law here, Foreign Affairs Minister, Dr. Karen Cummings, told the UN General Assembly in New York on Saturday, noting that the rights and freedoms of all citizens are respected.

Making her debut at the assembly, Dr. Cummings emphasised that these gains were realised under the Coalition Government and these should not be taken for granted. According to Dr. Cummings since coming to office, local and regional elections that were held in abeyance for more than two decades have been held twice within four years. “Guyana has responded generously to the influx of men, women and children who have left our western neighbour – Venezuela – in recent times and equally to CARICOM states that have been impacted by unprecedented natural disasters.”

She noted that last July, Guyana presented its inaugural Voluntary National Review (VNR) to the 2019 High-Level Political Forum of ECOSOC, noting that this country’s report demonstrated significant progress, particularly on several goals and reaffirmed its emphasis on quality education as a key entry point to develop synergies across the agenda as a whole, as well as the need for capacity support and partnership especially in the area of data collection and management.

In addition, in response to the interplay of developments in the democratic exercise of the parliamentary and legislative arms of government, President David Granger has announced that national and regional elections will be held on March 2, 2020 to assure the democratic renewal of governance in Guyana.

OIL ECONOMY
Touching on the impending oil economy, Dr. Cummings said Guyana stands on the verge of becoming a new oil-producing nation with its attendant significant opportunities and challenges. She said extensive preparation is underway to guarantee the responsible management of the new resources. “Thus, a future of considerable promise for all the people of Guyana beckons and it is they who will determine the course, outcome and legacy that we will bequeath to succeeding generations. To this end, President Granger has declared a Decade of Development for All Guyanese, that will focus on ensuring that all Guyanese can enjoy the good life, especially through enhanced educational outcomes at all levels and the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women, including the challenge of domestic violence,” the Guyana foreign affairs minister told the assembly.
Dr. Cummings mentioned that Guyana’s focus on education is rooted in “our conviction that our people are our greatest asset and as leaders we have an obligation to develop the capacity of our human resources in an inclusive manner.  We would therefore urge greater collaboration among member states to devise strategies to achieve quality education for all and we simultaneously call upon developed countries, traditional and emerging donors and international financing mechanisms to increase funding for education and to support programmes according to the needs, priorities and circumstances of countries.”

A former junior minister in the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Cummings told the assembly that Guyana believes that the health of its peoples is of equal importance. “Guyana has therefore welcomed the convening of the high-level meeting on Universal Health Coverage under the profound theme, “Moving Together to Build a Healthier World”.  The importance of enhanced access to essential health services, including a skilled health workforce and access to safe, quality, effective and affordable medicines and vaccines is key to having a healthy world population where all can enjoy the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health is self-evident. In this regard, the political declaration on universal health coverage represents an important global consensus on accelerating efforts at all levels to improve health outcomes.”

Dr. Cummings said too that Guyana has introduced its Integrated Health Service Delivery Network which enables a more holistic primary healthcare delivery mechanism by addressing social determinants of health while promoting the health of the individual. This, she said, places priority on the availability of preventative measures and healthcare services at the level of primary healthcare. “The Government of Guyana is committed to ensuring that all Guyanese, regardless of their location, have access to health services and the government is implementing its plan to establish health posts and health centres in all communities to reduce the need for travel over long distances to access healthcare services,” the foreign affairs minister said.