…PM Nagamootoo to lead Guyana’s delegation, hold talks on climate change other issues

PRIME Minister, Moses Nagamootoo, will lead a delegation, including Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Karen Cummings, to United Nations Headquarters in New York for the official handover ceremony of the Chairmanship of the Group of 77 (G77) scheduled to be held on Wednesday this week.

Prime Minister Nagamootoo is expected to deliver remarks on behalf of Guyana during the ceremony, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a release. Also, while in New York, the Prime Minister and Dr. Cummings are scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with a number of Member States, among others.

During its chairmanship this year, which coincides with the United Nations seventy-fifth anniversary and its national Republic Jubilee, Guyana is committed to its endeavour to strengthen multilateralism for the benefit of all developing countries. In accordance with the G77 agenda, negotiations and deliberations will be conducted on various issues, including global sustainable development, climate change, and efforts to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation, the ministry said.

This year, the G77 will also place emphasis on reinvigorating South-South cooperation to further strengthen developmental efforts of the South and its participation in the global economy. Progress and the trajectory of the group will be reviewed at the annual Ministerial Meeting as well as at the Third South Summit expected to take place in Kampala during mid-April. The summit will be jointly chaired by Guyana and Uganda. The Group of 77 was established on June 15, 1964 by 77 developing countries signatories. It has since grown to become the largest intergovernmental organisation and presently serves as a platform for 134 Member States and China to articulate and promote collective economic interests and enhance joint negotiating capacity on all major international economic issues in the United Nations system.

It was announced back in December last year that Guyana had been elected to chair the Group of 77, a move that was deemed “timely and fitting.” At the time the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had said that the decision by the G77 and China to elect Guyana to serve as its chair in 2020 is a demonstration of strong support for and confidence in the Co-operative Republic of Guyana. The election was made at the 22 November plenary of the 134 Member States of the group. The election was made by acclamation without preconditions.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry said that the Guyana’s election to the post follows a decision of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) earlier in 2019 to ensure that a regional candidate assumes chairmanship in 2020 of this largest negotiating group of developing countries in the United Nations. Consequently, for its accession, Guyana received the unequivocal support of CARICOM and the majority of countries in the group, including from Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America.

“For Guyana’s part, during its chairmanship, which coincides with the United Nations seventy-fifth anniversary and its national Republic Jubilee, the country is committed to endeavour to strengthen multilateralism for the benefit of all developing countries, including by presiding over global sustainable development and climate change negotiations, and efforts to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation,” the ministry said.

According to the ministry, Guyana’s election as G77 Chair has been hailed as a timely and fitting tribute to all Guyanese with recognition of the good standing and capacity of the country to effectively undertake responsibilities at the highest levels of the international community.

Minister Cummings had emphasised that, “in keeping with its deep commitment to principled conduct and the rule of law, Guyana will discharge the important responsibilities of the Chairmanship of the G77 and China with integrity, faithfulness to the principles and objectives of the Charter of the United Nations.” Furthermore, Dr. Cummings noted Guyana’s resolve to use the opportunity to further the interests of all developing countries.
The duties of the chairmanship will be discharged with the support of a range of bilateral partners and international organisations. Team members will be drawn from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, other government ministries and agencies and from the Guyanese diaspora.
Main activities of the group takes place at United Nations Headquarters in New York. G77 Chapters are based in Geneva, Nairobi, Paris, Rome and Vienna, and the closely-allied Intergovernmental Group of Twenty-Four on International Monetary Affairs and Development (G24) in Washington DC.

The G77 was formed in 1964 and its purpose is to provide a forum for developing nations to promote their economic interests. While 77 nations were the founding members of the group, it later expanded to include other nations. China participates in the meetings of the G77 but is not a member; hence the group is referred to as the G77 and China.