— Minister Teixeira tells UN Human Rights Council

INCREASING access to social services and advancing a sustainable development agenda are crucial components needed to advance human rights in Guyana, according to Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira.

“On the assumption of office just six months ago, our Government is committed to making good faith efforts to strengthen democracy, the rule of law, transparency and accountability in Government, and the advancement of the human rights of our people,” Minister Teixeira highlighted while representing President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, at the 46th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), on February 23.

She noted that the COVID-19 pandemic has had an adverse impact on Guyana and on nations across the world. The impact of COVID-19 permeates each sector of society, and therefore, affects lives and livelihoods. Navigating this pandemic, she reasoned, requires a concerted focus on meeting the needs of people.

To mitigate the adverse impact, she highlighted, “The Government of Guyana has increased access to social services, including mental health support services; enforced a strict policy of non-discrimination for COVID-19 treatment; and increased testing centres in all areas, particularly in rural and indigenous communities.”

Additionally, she noted that the Government supported families with direct cash and food transfers, introduced monetary measures and, importantly, found novel ways of ensuring access to justice was afforded.

“Whilst we intensify our efforts to contain the virus, we are aggressively pursuing every avenue that will lead to the complete vaccination of our population by the end of the year. In this regard, we have signed to every agreement available with the various vaccine providers,” she said.

In keeping with the mandate of protecting the health of the population, particularly through the COVID-19 pandemic, Minister Teixeira highlighted that the Government is trying to improve vaccination capacity.

But the minister was keen on highlighting that climate change is yet another issue that threatens to frustrate efforts to ensure that Guyanese can fully enjoy the right to development.

GREATER CAPITAL INVESTMENTS
“As a low-lying coastal state, Guyana now experiences unpredictable and abnormal weather patterns with increased intensity which can undermine the critical objectives of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” Teixeira said, adding: “These developments have required greater capital investments in sea and river defences and drainage and irrigation and even possible movement to virgin areas on higher ground.”

These challenges, she said, require a special onus to renew commitment to the United Nations’ Human Rights Agenda and to exert even greater efforts to improve people’s wellbeing.

“The Government of Guyana has taken a studied decision to improve its compliance with its human rights reporting obligations. We view this as critical not only for compliance but also for the value of systematic reporting in helping us assess where we are and what further steps need to be taken,” she added.

While Guyana is poised for exponential economic growth, she said that there must be an equitable distribution of the people’s wealth and equitable access to goods and services by addressing disparities between the different regions in the country to ensure all have equal opportunities.

Guyana’s participation in the Spotlight Initiative, the expanded Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), the advancement of the Indigenous Land Titling project, and the establishment of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) hubs in the interior indigenous communities, are all initiatives which will help to advance human rights. Priority will also be given to the formation of a One Guyana Commission, to be headed by Prime Minister Brigadier (ret’d), Mark Phillips.

Speaking particularly on the LCDS, she said, “We believe that this strategy will allow Guyana to earn substantial revenue that can be utilised to diversify the economy and create employment opportunities for our people as we did previously under the Norway Agreement.”

Under this, she explained that the benefits from the Payments for Ecosystem Services (PES) to flow to all Guyanese, especially to indigenous communities, where First Prior Informed Consent (FPIC) principles and the Opt-In Mechanism will be strictly observed.

The minister also took the opportunity to extend deepest gratitude to the United Nations, its various agencies and Guyana’s international partners for their support and solidarity against the unlawful claim by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to a portion of Guyana’s Sovereign Territory.