While Guyana has moved up two points on the global Human Development table, failure to adhere to sustainable environmental plans, implement ‘green’ policies and negating the fact that climate change plays a significant role in the overall development of this country may see that positive growth decline in coming years.
This among other points was made as the United Nations Development Programme yesterday held the local launch of the 2011 Human Development Report (HDR) which focused specifically on Guyana. The report was launched under the theme ‘Sustainability and Equity: A Better Future for All’, at the UNDP office Brickdam, Georgetown.
“Guyana has achieved significant progress during the past two decades yet this progress could be halted, or worse reversed unless bold steps are taken to slow climate change, prevent further environmental damage, reduce inequality among nations,” said Chisa Mikami UNDP Deputy Resident Representative as she presented key messages and information on Guyana from the report.
Mikami also highlighted a few of the recommendations provided in the report that could assist policymakers and citizens to make sustainable environmental and equitable futuristic choices while noting that the report provides an in- depth statistical outline of how this may be achieved.
Resident Representative Dr Carlos del Castillo while stating that the HDR was an independent publication commissioned by his organization, said it was also “an important tool for raising awareness about human development around the world”. He added that sustainability and equity were important factors in this year’s report because of similarities in distributive justice. “Sustainability is valued because future generations should have at least the same possibilities as people today… Similarly all inequitable processes are unjust: people’s chances at better lives should not be constrained by factors outside of their control,” he said.
He said he hoped the report would contribute to the dialogue and discussions on the global challenge, Guyana included.
Minister of Finance Dr Ashni Singh, after receiving the report, lauded it for its recognition of Guyana’s sustainability efforts and programmes and upward move from 115 to 117 this year.
He said too that even as the tasks at hand seem overwhelming, Guyana was committed to holding true to its plans for a sustainable and equitable country. “We will not tire in our advocacy and commitment to sustainability,” he said. He added that Guyana has also incorporated fiscal sustainability as part of its policy choices as the country aims to achieve intergenerational equity, noting that some policy rewards might not be felt in this generation but cater for the country’s future populace.
Singh also noted the interconnectivity of countries emphasizing that no one country should feel it can achieve any of the goals alone.
“The oneness of the world,” is how he described the interlink explaining how changes environmentally, financially or socially impact the global community. “Any policy in the world that ignores this oneness …that ignores the implications for others is by definition not sustainable,” he said.
Singh illustrated this by showing how the valuation of the euro impacts the sugarcane workers of Guyana and similarly how the impact of the United States’ recession is being felt in countries globally.
The report which illustrates and analyzes human developmental trends focused on 187 countries. Norway topped the ranking with Australia the Netherlands and the United States following. On the lowest scale were the Democratic Republic of Congo, Niger and Mozambique among others.
