Community Development projects to go ahead in Amerindian communities

– agreement to be signed at NTC conference The sixth annual National Toshaos Council (NTC) conference will culminate with the signing of an agreement between the United Nations Development Project (UNDP) and the Government of Guyana for the Amerindian Development Fund (ADF) that will commence the execution of community development projects in Amerindian communities. Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai told the media of this development during a press briefing on Wednesday, July 25, 2012 at the Amerindian Affairs ministry as she outlined some of the week-long activities that will be facilitated at the upcoming NTC conference that will be hosted from August 6-10, 2012 at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal. Also in attendance at the press briefing was Permanent Secretary Nigel Dharamlall and NTC Chairperson, Yvonne Pearson. The NTC conference is a collaborative venture between the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs and the National Toshaos Council. The NTC meeting is organised with the aim of engaging Amerindian leaders and stakeholders in discussion towards intensifying developments in Amerindian communities. This year’s event will be hosted under the theme, “Establishing Strategic Approaches and Alliances for Sustaining Amerindian Development” at which approximately 190 village leaders; Toshaos and Senior Councilors and 13 Community Development Officers (CDOs) are expected to participate. Minister Sukhai said issues that will be up for discussion include: the opt-in mechanism for the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDs,) issues of governance, legislation, administration and resource management. Activities will also include the swearing in of a number of Toshaos as Rural Constables and Justices of the Peace, and as well the usual discussions and interaction of development issues among village leaders, the President and other members of the Cabinet. Two days have been set aside for these engagements. The NTC Chairperson said that the Toshaos are eagerly anticipating the event, and expressed her gratitude to be provided the opportunity to review and examine some of the developments that would have occurred since the hosting of the 2011 conference.

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Amerindian Affairs Ministry represents Guyana’s indigenous people, regionally and internationally

Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai recently represented Guyana at the fifth session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous People (EMRIP), hosted by the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland where she made a presentation on Guyana’s responsiveness to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP) standards and provided an update on the models adopted by the Guyana Government to promote indigenous development. Minister Sukhai at a press briefing at her Ministry on Wednesday, July 25, 2012 updated the media on some of the ministry’s recent international representations towards indigenous development. According to Minister Sukhai, the Geneva conference was attended by representatives from international communities with Amerindian presence and saw discussion on a series of event and activities. She said that the conference was an open session with interactive discussions unusual for high - level meetings and allowed for and encouraged the contribution of views from all the levels of indigenous Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) and civil society and other United Nations (UN) and international agencies and institutions in attendance at the meeting. Among serious agenda issues discussed at the conference were the World Conference on Indigenous People, follow- up on several thematic studies and advice and the study on the role of language and culture in the promotion of the rights and identity of indigenous people. Minister Sukhai said Guyana also came in for credit at the meeting in an EMRIP report conducted on members states based on a questionnaire that sought their views on the best practices regarding possible appropriate measures and implementation strategies in order to attain the goals of the UNDRIP. Guyana was among 14 member countries that completed and submitted the questionnaire and came in for mention in the EMRIP report for its advancement on land issues, culture and development. The conference concluded with the resolution of a number of agreed upon proposals for the submission to the Human Rights Council for its consideration and approval, the Minister said. This includes the organising and scheduling of the World Conference of Indigenous people for September 2014, and the recommendation of a permanent forum on Indigenous issues to be welcomed by the Human Rights Council. Guyana’s international representation at the forum serves to facilitate the sharing of the country’s experiences with others in the promotion and protection of indigenous people and, also to present Guyana’s successes and challenges to indigenous development. Chairperson of the National Toshaos Council Yvonne Pearson also represented the Government at an ad-hoc meeting on Population and Development in Quito, Ecuador, July 4-6, 2012 hosted by the United Nations Population Fund whilst Permanent Secretary in the Ministry Nigel Dharamlall attended and represented Guyana at a Regional Workshop on methodologies of protection and legislation in Brasilia, Brazil, May 30 - June 1, 2012. This event was facilitated by the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organisation (ACTO).

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