Guyana assures UN of addressing human rights challenges

Guyana’s Government has assured the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council that the recently passed $329 billion emergency budget will help address whatever human rights challenges exist, as well as bring Guyana closer to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).
This assurance was given before the 34th Meeting of the 45 Regular Session of the Council, which is considering the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) done on Guyana’s human rights situation earlier this year.
Guyana’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Neville Totaram, informed the Council that the President Dr Irfaan Ali-led Government is fully committed to addressing the human rights and developmental needs of Guyanese.
He recalled the commitment given by Dr Ali during his inaugural address, when he assured the nation that a robust human rights agenda would be pushed by the Government. This includes alleviating poverty and improvements in education and health.
“I can report today that many of the initiatives announced by the President of Guyana are already on stream or about to be implemented, with budgetary allocations approved by the new Parliament that will also address many of the recommendations put forward during Guyana’s UPR,” Totaram said.
“Noteworthy, the budgetary allocations of health, education and housing and water, account for 33 per cent of Guyana’s $329 billion budget. Furthermore, tax measures introduced in 2016, which had increased poverty and led to thousands of job losses and a decline in the productive sector, have all been removed as of October 1st.”
Totaram informed the Council that the budgetary measures will bring Guyana more in line with the targets of the SDGs. The SDGs include eradicating poverty and hunger, providing quality education for citizens, clean water and sanitation and economic growth. According to Totaram, land titling for the Indigenous community is also on the agenda.
“In 2021, Guyana’s emerging transformative development projects will put the country on a more secure path, towards reaching these goals over the coming years. Between June 2015 and July 2020, there was no land titling on Amerindian indigenous lands,” Totaram related.
“However, the new Government is committed to urgently addressing pending and new applications for communal land titles. And budgetary support has been provided. Improving the quality of life for our Indigenous people and reducing the disparities that exist are priorities.”
He also explained that several programmes that have foundered under the former Government have been restored on the agenda. These include the Hinterland Electrification Programme, the Hinterland Education Improvement Programme, connectivity and ICT service at the community level, as well as access to water.
Guyana was one of 14 States that were reviewed by a UPR Working Group in January of 2020. Three countries; Australia, Chile and Pakistan, served as rapporteurs for Guyana. Previously, Guyana came under UPR reviews in 2010 and 2015.
The review is based on three sets of documents that must be presented; a national report, which contains information provided by the State under review; reports from independent human rights experts and groups, most notably the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and lastly, information provided by stakeholders including national human rights institutions, regional organisations and civil society groups in the country under review. (G3)