162 students graduate from Int’l Human Rights Law certificate course

Over 162 persons on Saturday graduated from the government’s International Human Rights Law certificate course.

The programme facilitated by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, aimed to educate Guyanese on human rights, international rights and conventions, and Guyana’s constitution and laws.

During the graduation ceremony at the Marriott Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira said the programme is a necessary investment.

“It was a daunting undertaking as we had no template to follow but I believe that we came up with a formula and a course that allowed Guyanese to understand how the UN system works,” the minister said.

Launched in July 2024 and formally concluding in October, the programme saw nine local experts and ten foreign specialists presenting on topics relevant to human rights like freedom of expression and state sovereignty.

One such local expert was the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC.

To accommodate persons in far-flung communities, as well as working participants, the programme was conducted virtually twice a week for two hours per session.

Minister Teixeira announced the government’s intention to expand the programme to other countries in the Caribbean, noting that similar offerings are lacking in the region.

“CARICOM countries as far as we know do not offer our programme or any of the ministries or the government offer such programmes. We may want to expand into offering to some of our CARICOM sister countries,” she noted.

Additionally, the ministry intends to expand the programme to more remote communities and neighbouring countries over the next two years.

British Ambassador to Guyana Jane Miller; UN resident coordinator in Guyana Jean Kamau, other members of the diplomatic corps, private sector representatives, and regional officials were present at the graduation ceremony.