PRESIDENT, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali has identified a number of critical issues impacting global development and issued a call for “the right balance” to ensure accelerated and sustainable development.

Among the issues identified are climate change, energy and food security. These issues are expected to take centre-stage at the ongoing European-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) Summit in Brussels, Belgium.

Guyana has taken a lead role in all of these core developmental issues and has already surpassed expectations in terms of climate resilient measures and food and energy security initiatives.
These are monumental achievements for a country which only a few decades ago was ranked one of the poorest in the hemisphere in terms of per capita income. Guyana was by the late 1980’s categorised as a low income highly indebted country. Today, Guyana has joined the ranks of high income countries, thanks to its carbon resources and good governance.

The European Union has been a significant economic partner not only for Guyana but for the region as a whole. This year’s summit is held at a time when there are serious challenges facing several countries of the world due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, climate change and the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This summit is expected to provide leaders with an opportunity to re-invigorate bi-regional relations and renew commitments to collectively address major global issues. The EU-CELAC countries represent 14 per cent of the world’s population and 21 per cent of global GDP which positions the grouping as a strategic player in the broader scheme of international trade and commerce.

As pointed out by the President of the European Union Ursula von der Leyden, the meeting “will explore ways to further connect people and businesses, how to reduce risks and strengthen, diversify supply chains and modernise economies in a way that reduces inequalities and bring benefits to all.”

All of these are forward-looking and commendable initiatives. The EU has committed €45 billion for investments in green energy sector, health and education in Caribbean and Latin American countries, but as pointed out by President Ali, there is need for stakeholder-based solutions to address financial gaps in the various areas.

The need to strike the right developmental balance cannot be over-emphasised. Such an approach to development is firmly rooted in the ‘One Guyana’ philosophy which reaffirms Guyana’s leadership role in a number of critical areas such as climate change, food and energy security and enhanced economic growth, all aimed at ensuring that the benefits of such growth are utilised to improve the material and cultural lives of all Guyanese.

President Ali and the PPP/C administration must be commended for the proactive and leadership role Guyana is playing on the regional and international stage. As pointed out by Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance Dr. Ashni Singh during a recent address to a high-level political forum on sustainable development, Guyana has made a number of gains in the area of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) under the theme, “One Guyana: Achieving Low Carbon Sustainable Development for All.” Guyana, it should be noted, has shown significant improvements on the Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN).