Guyana enhancing social development policies – UN conference told

Guyana is enhancing its social development policies in a way that benefits persons with disabilities and positions the country to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, Ravin Singh, Director of Projects, Policy and Public Affairs in the Office of the First Lady, said Wednesday.

Singh was speaking at Roundtable One of the 18th Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

Specifically, he spotlighted the country’s efforts to embed disability inclusion in national development through innovative financing mechanisms.

Singh emphasised that Guyana’s implementation of the CRPD has catalyzed a paradigm shift—transforming disability policies from welfare-based approaches to ones grounded in rights, equality, and participation.

“Guyana continues to honour its commitment under the Convention by prioritizing the inclusion of disability rights in development policies—an essential step towards achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development,” Singh said.

He noted that central to this inclusive vision is Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), which directs revenues from forest climate services and the natural resources sector into programmes that benefit persons with disabilities. These include investments in accessible schools, inclusive vocational training, and adaptive healthcare services.

Singh also noted that a new partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank aims at strengthening Guyana’s social protection systems.

“A recent partnership with the Inter-American Development Bank will support Guyana’s ongoing efforts to modernize and expand its social protection systems.

 “This includes increasing coverage of the Public Assistance programme, which has already supported thousands of persons with disabilities through direct cash transfer; and expansion of specialized training programmes,” Singh stated.

He further noted that the Small Business Bureau offers interest-free loans to businesses led by persons with disabilities, a targeted move to foster entrepreneurship and economic empowerment in alignment with SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities).

Despite these advances, Singh acknowledged that challenges remain.

“While we have made significant gains, there is still much work to be done to ensure the full and equal participation of persons with disabilities,” he said.

He said the upcoming Second World Summit for Social Development presents a timely opportunity to address existing gaps and recommit to the principles of the Copenhagen Declaration, ensuring that no one is left behind.”