Guyana positioned to be climate change leader

DPI, Guyana, Monday, October 22, 2018

Guyana was commended today for its vision of a Green State Development Strategy at the launch of the Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management (CAPAM) 2018 Biennial Conference.

The conference at the Marriott Hotel is being held under the theme “Transforming the Public Sector for Climate Governance.”

CAPAM Chief Executive Officer, Gay Hamilton remarked that with the discovery of oil and gas, coupled with a largely untouched forest, Guyana is “at a crossroads with a unique opportunity to integrate economic growth and still be a climate-conscious country. I think they would be well positioned to be an exemplar to many other countries in the world who maybe have gone past that point and need to readjust.”

Over the next three days, over two hundred delegates from Commonwealth nations are going to be engaged on the topic of climate change. Hamilton stated that climate change is being focused on because it is “permeating every part of the fabric of our society,” while noting that “public servants need to be prepared for that transformation.”

Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of the Presidency’s Department of Public Service Reginald Brotherson noted that Guyana having the “opportunity to play host to the Commonwealth, is bringing to light the issues we have with climate change.” He remarked that in this regard, the country has the necessary experience to lend support to CAPAM.

“As a country that is being managed also by public servants, we figure that our contribution, our experiences to share with CAPAM, will be very ideal for the movement and moving it forward,” Brotherson said.

The Permanent Secretary disclosed that at the conclusion of the conference, he hopes that Guyana can “borrow and learn new things” through the “sharing of experiences and cross-fertilization of ideas” to better manage the environment.

By: Anara Khan

Images: Keno George