Gov’t under no illusion about challenges to sustainable development-Finance Minister

Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, said that the development agenda of the government is closely aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlined by the United Nations (UN).

He said the administration also understands the challenges it faces in that regard.  

“As government, [we] are under no illusion about the magnitude of the challenges that still lay before us, and climate change of course is foremost amongst these, and climate change represents one of a few extremely good illustrations of the importance of global action and global commitment.”

He made the comment during the multi-country Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (MSDCF) 2022-2026 agreement signed at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Friday. MSDCF 2022-2026 builds on MSDF 2017-2021, and covers the entire Caribbean. It is a mechanism through which countries will engage the United Nations on their progress towards meeting the SDGs.

Endorsing this pact, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira noted Guyana’s triumph over threats to democracy before 1992 and during the 2020 protracted electoral process. She said the victories have taught the country a valuable lesson about the importance of global partnerships.

“Global partnerships and global countries and organisations working together for the betterment of our people, individually and our countries as well as globally is the only model that we know.”

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, said the signing of the Framework agreement with the UN shows Guyana’s commitment to multilateralism and its emphasis on global governance.

“To the efforts of the United Nations, Guyana is a very committed partner and we are cognisant of the fact that issues of humanity would need a global governance approach…”

He said Guyana is taking the achievement of the SDGs step by step, and remains committed until the end.

UN Resident Coordinator in Guyana, Yesim Oruc, said, “Across all the areas of sustainable development – people, prosperity, planet, peace – there is amazingly great momentum in Guyana.”

She explained that the agreement will guide the UN in its efforts to align Guyana’s national development priorities on the way to recover from COVID-19, with its drive to get back on track with the SDGs, and with the dignity of the human person at the centre of these efforts.