–Minister Teixeira says, emphasises the importance of an informed population

AN informed population is paramount to Guyana’s growing democracy, so a possible avenue for greater education on issues of human rights is the establishment of a Human Rights Institute/Academy in the near future, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira has said.
She made the remarks on Saturday at the graduation ceremony of 162 participants from the inaugural International Human Rights Law Certificate Course, which concluded last month.
During the graduation ceremony held at the Marriott Hotel’s Grand Ballroom, Minister Teixeira emphasised the importance of a course on international human rights law, stressing the need for an informed population to support Guyana’s growing democracy.

She said there must be an inclusive approach to understanding human rights, advocating against categorising people by race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, geographic location or social origin. The minister highlighted that the course teaches participants to recognise the rights of all individuals, including children, women, and persons from the LGBTQI community.
Minister Teixeira urged the participants to apply the new knowledge to everyday life, calling on them to foster an environment where everyone’s rights are respected and upheld.
She discussed the importance of human rights conventions and the role of the state in upholding them, particularly freedom of expression. She noted that while freedom of expression is vital, it should not be used to vilify or discriminate against others.

“Everyone has rights, but some rights are not absolute, like freedom of expression. I am free to express my views but if they hinder or vilify someone else then we are treating people with discrimination and violating their rights,” Minister Teixeira explained.
In this regard, she alluded to the importance of a balanced approach in educational programmes focused on human rights. She proposed the establishment of a human rights institute or academy that would provide more comprehensive training, including diplomas on various critical topics.

“Maybe not in the long future we need to look at a human rights institute or human rights academy where we can offer various courses in key areas of human rights.”
The minister highlighted the unique nature of the programme, as it is not currently offered by any ministries or government. According to her, there is interest in expanding it to other CARICOM countries, recognising the lack of similar initiatives in those countries.

“So, we have a big job because if we’re going to expand more, we have to now figure out how we’ll do that,” she said, referring to plans for the course to soon be accessible to the Guyanese diaspora. She highlighted the uniqueness of the course, as there was no existing template to follow.
Developed in Guyana by both local and international experts, the 10-week free International Human Rights Law Certificate Course was launched in July 2024. Included among the experts is Anil Nandlall, SC, the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs. This hybrid programme primarily took place online, with sessions occurring two days a week for two hours each.

In-person classes were also held in Georgetown. The course was designed to enhance understanding of the foundational concepts in international human rights law and Guyana’s human rights architecture.
The course aimed to educate participants on human rights conventions, the United Nations (UN) system, and local laws, with topics including state sovereignty, business and human rights, the right to food security, climate change, climate justice, artificial intelligence and gender issues.
The programme concluded in October, 2024, marking a significant achievement for Guyana.

The graduates include persons in the public and private sectors and civil society from all across Guyana. This course is the first of its type and magnitude in Guyana.
The response from the Guyanese public has been overwhelmingly positive. Some 1,000 applications were received for the programme, far exceeding the anticipated 40. To maintain the programme’s effectiveness, the number of participants was capped at approximately 200.