Ecuadorian Foreign Minister calls on President Jagdeo
- to discuss hand over of UNASUR chairmanship

In further efforts at advancing the strengthening of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR), and in preparation for the handing over of the rotating chairmanship, Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino, and a delegation of seven on a one-day visit to Guyana on Thursday, met with President Bharrat Jagdeo at the Office of the President.  


President Bharrat Jagdeo is greeted by Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino, during a courtesy call at the Office of the President, Shiv Chanderpaul drive. (Sandra Prince Photo)

            “We had the opportunity to coordinate the activities of UNASUR for the last time and now it’s the turn for Guyana, and we are very pleased to hand over all the information of all the work we have done so that Guyana can take over the chairmanship,” Minister Patino said.
            The Spanish speaking Minister through an interpreter noted that the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Guyana and Ecuador are currently in discussions, which will be focused on preparation for the handing over and agenda of the November 26 meeting to be held in Guyana.
            At the fourth UNASUR Summit, there will be a meeting of national delegations of each of the signatory countries on November 23 and 24. This will be followed by discussion by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Heads of State on November 26 and will conclude with the handing over of the chairmanship.


From left;- President Bharrat Jagdeo, Ecuadorian Foreign Minister Ricardo Patino and interpreter during courtesy call at the Office of the President, Shiv Chanderpaul drive.
(Sandra Prince Photo)  

             “We are very pleased to be here in Guyana. It is the first time I came here and I truly feel that it is a very familiar environment to our cities and we are very happy to have that relationship and to have received such courtesy,” the Foreign Minister stated.
            President Jagdeo also came in for high praise from the visiting Foreign Minister, as it relates to the solidarity shown to the country.
            “We also had the opportunity to thank the President of Guyana for his solidarity with Ecuador through the difficult times we had when there was an attempt on our country and for that we are grateful,” he posited.

Natural disasters impact to be significantly reduced

-through collaboration with Canadian Government  

The Government of Canada through CIDA is supporting the efforts of the Canadian Red Cross to assist Caribbean countries and local communities to better prepare for natural disasters

            In a press statement, the Canadian High Commission said on Wednesday, International Day of Disaster Reduction, Minister of International Cooperation Beverley J. Oda announced support for reducing the impact of natural disasters in the Caribbean.

            The support from the Canadian Government is a component of its Caribbean Disaster Risk Management programme.

            Minister Oda was quoted as saying that “It is by strengthening the region’s resilience to natural disasters that Caribbean states will reduce the number of lives lost and the severe impact on their populations,”

            Canada has contributed CD$3.5M to the Canadian Red Cross project which will help deliver training that will enable people living in vulnerable communities to better understand the hazards of their environment and adopt practices that will make their homes safer.

Minister Persaud emphasises Government’s commitment to sustaining food security
- during World Food Day observance at St. Cuthbert’s Mission  

Enhancing food security continues to be one of the main priorities of the PPP/C Administration and to ensure that Guyana is on par with the objective of ensuring that ‘World hunger is eliminated’ the Ministry of Agriculture On Saturday observed World Food Day, an annual activity in the Ministry’s calander of activities for Agriculture Month.
            This year, St. Cuthbert’s Mission an Amerindian Community located in Region Four was selected as the location for the observance, which was aimed at stimulating greater food security, while increasing food production. 

Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud addresses the gathering during ‘World Food Day’ observance at St. Cuthbert’s Mission, Region Four. Also in photo at head table are;- Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, and FAO’s representative Dr. Lystra Fletcher-Paul

The day’s activity which saw exhibition on display from agencies such as the New Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC), National Agricultural Research Institute (NARI), and the Guyana Forestry Commission, also gave persons an opportunity to get a taste of traditional Amerindian life and culture.
Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud while delivering the feature address at the occasion, said that Guyana stands ready to positively contribute to eliminating world hunger, noting that the country has been fortunate in that it has been able to become self sufficient.
He indicated that Government has succeeded in eradicating hunger, thus making food affordable, despite the constraints oftentimes faced with climate change and Guyana’s vulnerability due to its coastland being below sea level.
While emphasising the need for the community to be more self sufficient, he said that farmers must recognise the challenges, and confront them so as to significantly maximise on the benefits, and exploit the full potential of the community.
Minister Persaud noted that the only way residents and farmers can see increased productivity, is by getting more areas under cultivation, despite the topography and location of the community.
 “The best days for Guyana as it relates to agriculture are not in the past but in the future. We believe that we can tap that vast potential because if we look at our land mass in terms of fertile soil we have close to 250,000 acres without deforestation, under cultivation,” he said.



While positing that there are a few countries that can boast of such fact, the Agriculture Minister said that not withstanding climate change the country is in a position to be a significant provider of food.
He said that having recognised the opportunities that lie in the sector, Government continues to invest. This has seen to date an allocated $9B invested in the sector, to ensure that there is a decrease in the number of hungry people.
Food production
Minister Persaud said that the administration is currently restructuring the St. Cuthbert’s community, enabling it to be more food secure as such, a massive rehabilitation of the main access road from the Linden Soesdyke Highway to the village will be done.
            The initiative will see $25M being spent.
            The Ministries of Agriculture and Amerindian Affairs will also be collaborating in a project whereby areas that were formerly not used for agriculture production, will now be converted into food producing plots.
            Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai who was also at the occasion alluded to the fact that Guyana currently has a positive outlook as it relates to being food secure, noting that Government has and will continue to ensure that it is maintained.
            She indicated that many countries have suffered from natural disasters, which have taken a toll on their productivity. However she said that “The world needs to pay more attention to ensuring that we can guarantee our food security at the international level.”
            She said that the recorded figure of one billion people being hungry would have been increased, because of natural disasters, noting that the national context is a very positive one, given the move towards expansion and diversification within the agriculture sector.
            According to the Minister, Guyana had realised its true potential and as such, it will continue to lead in this regard.
            “Our country stands in a very good position to fill the gap not only in a regional context but also at an international level so therefore with agriculture expansion and diversification on the agenda, agriculture is a lucrative sector,” she added.
            Meanwhile, the observance was highly praised by Toshao of St. Cuthbert’s Ernest Dundas and the Food and Agriculture Organisation representative Dr. Lystra Fletcher-Paul.
            Dr. Fletcher-Paul while reading the ‘World Food Day’ message by FAO’s Director General, Dr. Jacques Diouf, said that due to decades of silent neglect in global agriculture production, the 2009 economic crisis, coupled with soaring food prices, caused the hunger threshold to breach the one billion mark.
            This has since seen the launch of a petition by the FAO to reflect on the moral outrage of the situation.
            “This is for persons to sign the petition and to work together to amplify the message that society has to take special care so that no one goes hungry, and to date over one million people have signed and the project is continuing,” she said.
            According to Fletcher-Paul this year’s theme “United against Hunger” highlights the need to launch a new green revolution noting that the task of increasing food production is a job for everyone.
            She pointed out that there will have to be a 70 percent increase in food production to satisfy the needs of nine billion people by 2050. This means that farmers will have to get greater yields from the limited farms acreages they till.
Drip Irrigation System
After the ceremony, Ministers Persaud and Sukhai also commissioned a Drip Irrigation System that will significantly benefit residents of the area, as Government seeks to address pressing issues that are affecting food security.


Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud inspects Drip Irrigation System at St. Cuthbert’s Mission.

            The area which is mostly sandy is oftentimes faced with the availability of adequate water and as such, the Ministry saw it fit to initiate the programme.
            This method allows for the slow application of water directly to the plant’s root zone, hence, water is not wasted on non-growth areas.
            This method can maintain moisture of the soil as well

Minister Manickchand joins keynote panel at Harvard University
-discussions focused on closing gender gap

Minister of Human Services and Social Security Priya Manickchand today joined Prime Minister of Canada Kim Campbell on the important panel of a conference at the John F Kennedy School of Government at the Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.



The two- day conference “Closing the Gender Gap: the business case for Organizations, Politics and Society is hosted by the Council of Women World Leaders in collaboration with the World Economic Forum and seeks to examine the relationship between gender equality and societal and economic outcomes.



A release from the Ministry said the panel discussion, moderated by the Secretary General of the Council Laura Liswood examined specifically the benefits of political power. 
Minister Manickchand posited that political power matters in closing the gender gap across the world and expressed the view that political power derived from political office has tremendous benefits one of which is to allow for the culture of a country to be shaped and changed by public policy derived from political office. She said that when that office is occupied equally by both genders the female perspective is considered when decisions are being made. As to how to ensure there is equality in representation the Minister was resolute that quotas prescribing numbers of women in office must be provided for by legislation.



The Minister however also put forward the view that of tremendous value in closing the gender gap is political power derived from unity around a cause.
 The Minister noted that where women across political divides, religious views, social status and professions could collaborate and hold a common position about a specific issue that body would have power that is political in nature and that cannot be ignored.



Governments have to create environments that encourage and enable women uniting around specific causes, she said. This, she offered would more than likely require proactive efforts by governments to allow the voices of women to be heard on issues.
Taking consultations to women is a sure way to enable this environment; she told the audience which included professors, students, presidents and directors of organizations and banks, and business owners and CEOs.
Marrying political power derived from political office and from unity around a cause is unbeatable, the Minister said.