A PHOTOGRAPHIC exhibition and a conversation on the Environment and Energy interface in Guyana were the main features of a well-attended reception held at the Guyana Mission in Geneva in celebration of the country’s 50th Anniversary of becoming a Republic.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the photographic exhibition showcased Guyana as an eco-tourist destination with focus on the country’s rich biodiversity, flora and fauna, agriculture, historic buildings and lifestyle.

It was noted that the conversation on the country’s environment and energy interface included the Guyanese diaspora in Switzerland and CARICOM Missions, in addition to friends of the country. According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the discussion focused on the opportunities and challenges currently before Guyana as it simultaneously takes on the development of its Petroleum Sector and Green Economy reliant on renewable energy.

Ambassador of Guyana to the United Nations (UN) Geneva Institutions and Switzerland, John Deep Ford, in his address, underlined the importance of Guyana’s Republic Status. He indicated that the date commemorates the historic slave rebellion started in 1763 in the then colony of Berbice, led by the country’s national hero, Cuffy, against the Dutch – a critical moment in the history of Guyana’s struggle against colonialism.

February 23, 1970, is the date that Guyana severed its final link with the colonial era and the symbol of foreign rule, becoming fully in charge of its destiny.

Guyana’s gift to the world in 1989 of almost one million acres of rainforest, the Iwokrama project, the low carbon development strategy developed in 2007, and the Green State Development Strategy 2040, completed in 2019, were highlighted as testament to Guyana’s long commitment to sustainable development and a future based on renewable energy, the Foreign Affairs Ministry detailed.

“Guyana’s new opportunity with continued exploration and recently-started production and export of oil and gas was seen as bringing a number of wonderful possibilities but also some risks. The dominant view in Guyana’s discourse was described as being one that calls for using the windfall gain to consolidate Guyana’s long-term development goals and ensuring good governance and management of all Guyana’s resources to stave off the well-known perils of some oil economies,” the ministry explained.

The Ambassador of Norway, Dagfinn Sørli, shared lessons from Norway’s experience, emphasising the important role of the government in owning, regulating and transparently managing its energy resources. Sørli underscored the importance of taxing private operators proportionately and continuously growing the sovereign wealth fund while using only some of the interest to generate long-term wealth for a country to the benefit of its people.

The Ambassador of Guyana recognised Norway’s support for Guyana’s efforts over the past decade towards reducing deforestation and working towards sustainable development. The agreement between Guyana and Norway, signed in 2009, was cited as one of the biggest forest conservation and sustainable development deals (US$250M) ever signed up till then. It was intended to “provide the world with a working example of how partnerships between developed and developing countries can save the world’s tropical forests.”

An important contribution to the evening was made by Guyanese, Romain Williams, who recently graduated with a Master’s Degree in Energy and Environmental Law from the University of Aberdeen. In her presentation, she addressed the opportunities and the trade-offs between energy and the environment and emphasised the importance of regulations, stable institutions and enforcement mechanisms to ensure that Guyana minimises the possibility of any environmental disasters and stays true to its commitment of pursuing sustainable development and being fully reliant on renewable energy in the future.