The Ministry of the Presidency’s Department of Environment, in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), yesterday hosted its 11th and final Advisory Committee Meeting, which is a multi-stakeholder committee of the Green State Development Strategy (GSDS).
The meeting was held at Cara Lodge on Quamina Street, Georgetown. Director of the Department of the Environment and Co-chair of the GSDS Advisory Committee, Ms. Ndibi Schwiers, said the meeting marks the formal conclusion of the process to develop the GSDS: Vision 2040.
The GSDS: Vision 2040 is set out to be a living example of Guyana’s commitment to the planet while ensuring the sustainable growth and economic well-being of its population. It will guide Guyana’s national development policies for the next 20 years. The Department of Environment is currently working on the third component of the GSDS, which is the Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. The GSDS is scheduled to be launched in September 2019.
The Advisory Committee is made up of senior representatives from several governmental and private sector entities who serve as chairs and co-chairs of each of the seven thematic expert groups of the GSDS. The meetings have been held since 2018 with the overall objective of guiding and providing institutional support for the elaboration of the Guyana Government’s commitment to the GSDS Vision: 2040, which was mandated by President David Granger.
The Committee used the framework of the GSDS in 2017 as a reference to develop the GSDS: Vision 2040.
Co-Chair of the GSDS Advisory Committee and Director of the Office of the Budget, Ministry of Finance, Ms. Sonya Roopnauth, said that although the meeting serves as an end of the first phase, there is still work to be done to implement the strategy.
Meanwhile, UNEP’s Environment Director – Latin America and the Caribbean, Mr. Leo Heileman, said Guyana now needs to market the GSDS, which is an evolution to the development process, as it is adapted to the national situation to enable greater collaboration and partnership. He also urged that the financial aspect of the country be aligned with this strategy to advance Guyana’s development further into the 21st Century.
Additionally, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Senior Strategic Advisor – Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean (RBLAC), Mr. Luca Renda, congratulated Guyana on the development of the GSDS, noting that the United Nations will continue to work with Guyana. Renda said the document is a remarkable one with an important narrative for Guyana and that the link between the strategy and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) is a fundamental one. He, therefore, urged that awareness be raised in the international community about the GSDS.
Further, Corporate Coordinator of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Mr. Ramesh Dookhoo, who also applauded the completion of the GSDS, said the PSC’s involvement stemmed from a business summit which coincided with the thematic groups of the GSDS advisory committee.
