Dear Editor,
Guyanese at home and abroad are standing taller today than ever before and they are very fortunate to have President Dr. Irfaan Ali and Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips at the helm of the government.

Since assuming office three and a half years ago, our leaders have worked tirelessly to rebuild the crumbling economy, improve and modernise the collapsing infrastructures, reconstruct the Rose Hall sugar factory all of which were crippled by the Granger-led coalition government.

Both President Dr. Irfaan Ali and PM Mark Phillips have pointed to initiatives by the government to combat climate change and food insecurity, reduce poverty and hunger and to make Guyana a major food producer for both regional and global markets.

These issues were underscored by Prime Minister Phillips at the 6th Ministerial Meeting on Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA), held under the theme, “Renewable Energy in the Americas: Innovation and Integration,” in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

The Prime Minister emphasised the urgent need to integrate renewable energy sources and innovative technologies into existing energy systems throughout the Americas. He stressed the critical role of renewable energy in fostering sustainable development and achieving net-zero emissions by the 2050 United Nations mandate.

According to Brigadier Mark Phillips, clean energy is at the core of Guyana’s comprehensive energy transformation to achieve short-and-long-term sustainability objectives, that are fundamental to the government’s commitment to environmental stewardship, social progress, economic growth and human development.

He added that the Government of Guyana has strategically adopted strong policies, cost-efficient technologies, and energy-saving solutions to ensure that its citizens have equitable and affordable access to clean and renewable energy.

Prime Minister Phillips reiterated Guyana’s obligation and dedication to global efforts to address climate change and promote food security, and sustainable energy. He called for the achievement of tangible outcomes from the ECPA meeting.
Most would agree that in the last two years, President Dr. Ali has emerged as one of the most influential leaders in the Caribbean community (CARICOM) and his constant urging of the leaders to reduce the region’s food import bill by 25 percent and be self-sufficient by 2025 has paid off.

At the meeting of the Conference of Heads of State of CARICOM recently held in Guyana, the Guyanese head of state and Chairman of CARICOM has stated that during the last three years, tremendous progress has been made that has placed CARICOM on a trajectory to reduce its food import by 25 percent in 2025, achieve food self-sufficiency and hopefully reduce or end hunger, poverty and malnutrition by 2030.

His Excellency was praised for his skillful approach in highlighting such global issues as energy sufficiency, greenhouse gas emissions, food security and poverty, and hunger around the world.

At the 38th Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean held at the Arthur Chung Conference Center, President Dr. Ali has profoundly called for a more equitable global system to ensure food security, access to potable water and proper and adequate education and health care for the more than 700 million people currently living in poverty around the world.

President Dr. Ali accentuated the need for the expansion of agriculture production to end or reduce food shortages and poverty and to protect the most vulnerable in the global community.

The Guyanese Head of State called for the immediate end of all conflicts and highlighted the plight of the millions of people suffering from wars in Ukraine, Palestine and the errant gang violence in Haiti.

He cautioned the members of the international community not to stand idly by and allow the gruesome slaughtering and horrific suffering of tens of millions of innocent civilians to continue.

His Excellency was commended by several Heads of State and officials both in the Region and from around the world, including Anthony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State for his role as Chairman of CARICOM for organising a meeting in Kingston, Jamaica to discuss and find a solution for Haiti, which is currently being torn apart by spiraling gang violence.

It was a high-level meeting among CARICOM Heads in which President Dr. Ali has played a pivotal role in establishing a Presidential Council to restore law and order in Haiti, guide it towards elections and to return it to a state of normalcy. Both President Dr. Ali and PM Phillips have done an amazing job to place Guyana on the global map.
Sincerely,
Dr. Asquith Rose