Multi-agency Committee for addressing Influx of migrants from Venezuela advances coordinated agenda

The Multi-Agency Coordinating Committee for Addressing the Influx of Migrants from Venezuela into Guyana, met on Saturday, April 10, 2021, to give attention to the current migrant situation through a coordinated effort between the Government and international partners.

During the meeting chaired by the Honourable Gail Teixeira, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, representatives from Government Ministries, Agencies, and United Nations agencies examined the distribution of the migrant population across Guyana, in addition to ongoing efforts to register and assist migrants.

Among those attending the meeting were Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Elizabeth Harper; Director of the Bilateral Unit, Ambassador Michael Brotherson; and Director of the Frontiers Department, Donnette Streete. They were joined by Consultant to the Ministry, Major General (Ret’d) Joseph Singh, and National Security Advisor to the President, Captain Gerry Gouveia. Representatives from UN agencies included International Organization for Migration (IOM) Regional Coordinator and Chief of Mission, Robert Natiello; IOM Programme Coordinator, Monserrat Hernandez; United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Senior Liaison Officer, Cecilie Saenz Guerrero; United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) Representative, Nicolas Pron; United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Liason Officer, Alder Bynoe; Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) National Consultant, Tamica Noel; Pan-American Development Foundation (PADF) Project Director, Jermaine Grant; and representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, the Child Care and Protection Agency, and the Civil Defence Commission.