The Government of Guyana is looking to use its Chairmanship of the G77 Group to reverse the damage done to the country’s image before, during and after the 2020 general and regional elections.
With just over two months remaining to its tenure, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hugh Todd said it is important that Guyana is returned to its rightful place in the global environment.
“Recall we’ve come out of a very difficult period from 2018 to 2020 and we’ve lost a lot of capital and we’re regaining it… so what you will find happening is Guyana’s profile would be restored as an equal partner globally because we are consistent with our behaviour in terms of democracy, rule of law, respect for human rights.
“…so this chairmanship we have remaining, we will be able to do that, put Guyana back where [on] its rightful place in the global environment,” he told the News Room in an interview at the sidelines of a press conference on Friday at Ramphal House, Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown.
The 2020 election was prolonged for five months before the Government was sworn in on August 2, 2020. During the five-month period, CARICOM, the European Union, Organisation of American States and countries around the world called for the democratically elected Government to be sworn in.
Todd said “adherence to democratic principles, values and rules” are important “for your ability to dialogue, to communicate, and to do everything else that follows, to engage in trade and to do exchanges and so and if you don’t get that right you’ll be locked out and we were locked out for some time.”
He said: “Now we’ve been invited to be a part of global engagements and that is important for the Guyanese people because they are going to benefit essentially.”
The Foreign Minister on Friday launched a flagship event for Guyana’s chairmanship – a virtual forum to be held on October 29 and 30th under the theme “Maintaining a Low Carbon Development Path towards the 2030 Agenda in the Era of COVID-19.”
He said the Government’s Low Carbon Strategy will be shown to the wider world as a model to tackle climate change.
“We’re providing leadership for about 130 countries. This is a small state, we have our challenges, we have our vulnerabilities but with the leadership being provided at the level of the Head of State, we’re confident that we’ll be able to make a lasting impression,” the Minister said.
The two-day event will feature two sessions daily and will be livestreamed by the Department of Public Information.
