Foreign Affairs Minister lauds efforts to promote peacebuilding

Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd on Tuesday recommitted Guyana’s position on peacebuilding, citing the need for it to be sustained on a global scale.
He made these comments at the High-Level Replenishment Conference for the UN Secretary General’s Peacebuilding Fund, in which several countries participated. Todd adequately represented Guyana by focusing on the importance of mobilising support to prevent conflicts.
Reflecting on the Peacebuilding Fund’s Strategic Plan for 2017-2019, he noted, “I was encouraged by the levels of support and investment that Member States and other stakeholders committed to ensuring that peacebuilding efforts around the world were sustained.  I was also heartened by the achievements in the established priority windows, particularly the steps taken to advance youth participation in public policymaking and to advance gender-sensitive peacebuilding.”
Despite successes within the last three years, he said that the Government of Guyana remains cognisant of the need to scale up investments in the Peacebuilding Fund for the full implementation of the 2020-2024 Strategy. This critical support is highly needed, with the devastating impact which COVID-19 has imprinted around the world.
“It has become increasingly evident that there can be no sustainable development without peace and no peace without sustainable development.  As we have entered the Decade of Action and Delivery for Sustainable Development with the attendant challenges brought on by the pandemic, investments in development and peace have become even more critical to ensure that countries build back better and address, in particular, the reversal of gains made over the years.”
On this note, Guyana has made a voluntary contribution towards the 2020-2024 Strategy in response to calls for a quantum leap in peacebuilding financing.  This is after recognising the persistent underinvestment in peacebuilding.
“Moreover, the increase in violent conflicts globally since 2010 thrusts upon us, the United Nations Member States, a greater responsibility to respond with the appropriate level of commitment to address this worrying trend and its implications for international peace and security.  The level of ambition reflected in the PBF’s 2020-2024 Strategy is precisely what is needed at this time and my Government is pleased that it could play a role in this respect,” Todd added.
For this, Guyana has welcomed the successful conclusion of the review of the United Nations peacebuilding architecture and was pleased with the decision to convene a high-level meeting of the General Assembly at the seventy-sixth session to deliberate on peacebuilding financing.
“Our hope is that together, we the Member States can craft concrete ways to take forward this important issue in the interest of the world’s people. Allow me to renew the enduring commitment of the Government of Guyana to the principles and purposes of the United Nations and to assure you that we will continue to do our best to contribute to advancing the United Nations’ peacebuilding efforts,” the Foreign Affairs Minister expressed.