…at UN Summit
FOREIGN Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett has highlighted the progress made by Guyana towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) through its progressive and integrated approach that involves prudent management of macro economic and fiscal policies and prioritising social and infrastructural development.
Addressing the United Nations Summit on the Millennium Development Goals in New York earlier this week, Minister Rodrigues-Birkett said  that in addition to avoiding food and financial crises, Guyana’s efforts yielded significant achievements in education, health, gender equality, poverty eradication and particularly in reducing mother to child transmission of HIV.
“Guyana has gone a step further by developing a Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) which will help to create financial infrastructure and low carbon initiatives while advancing Guyana’s long standing commitment to people centered development through greater investment in the social sector,” Minister Rodrigues-Birkett said.
According to the Foreign Minister, the LCDS represents a model of partnership between developing and developed countries in advancing common development and environmental objectives.
However, in spite of the progress made at the national level, serious challenges remain at the global level.

The Foreign Minister said although the commitment by leaders to ‘spare no efforts’ to achieve the MDGs remains unfulfilled, the MDGs remain eminently achievable with the right policies and action at all levels, adequate resources, and renewed political commitment.

“Why is our common quest to achieve these goals so far off track? Where are the resources that were pledged? In a world of increasing prosperity, expanding knowledge and growing interdependence, why should hunger, disease and deprivation remain the lot of billions of people,” she queried.
Minister Rodrigues-Birkett believes that all countries despite their economic, political or ideological orientation can make a difference if they work together in a genuine partnership which is imperative.
The Minister reiterated the UN Secretary General’s statement that the shortfall  towards achieving the MDGs are not because they are unreachable or because the time is too short, but rather because of unmet commitment, inadequate resources, lack of focus and accountability and insufficient interest in sustainable development.
She highlighted the need for a global response and action to strengthen the systems of global governance to promote an effective multilateral system to reform and modernize international financial institutions so as to better enable them to respond to, and prevent financial and economic emergencies, to strengthen the capacities and capabilities of the UN to discharge its mandate more efficiently and to address shortcomings in the international trading system.
There is also need for increased agriculture production and productivity to conquer the incidence of non-communicable diseases and to address the threat posed by climate change, Minister Rodrigues-Birkett stated.
She further noted that a global system that is premised on inequalities is unsustainable since persistent inequality within and between countries and innate deprivation undermine peace and security, the enjoyment of all human rights and the efficacy of development efforts especially for the most vulnerable.
Therefore “it is appropriate to recall the clear understanding of the Millennium Declaration that there would be increased direct support for the efforts by developing countries for achievement of the MDGs”, the Foreign Minister said.
The Summit was called by UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon at the UN Headquarters, New York on September 20-22 to accelerate progress towards achievement of the MDGs.
USE three column file photo of Minister Carolyn Rogrigues-Birkette