Finance Minister – Gov’t under no illusion about challenges to sustainable development

Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, said that the development agenda of the government is
closely aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlined by the United Nations
(UN).
Dr. Singh said the administration also understands the challenges it faces in that regard.   “As
government, [we] are under no illusion about the magnitude of the challenges that still lay before
us, and climate change of course is foremost amongst these, and climate change represents one
of a few extremely good illustrations of the importance of global action and global
commitment,” he said. The minister made the comment during the multi-country Sustainable
Development Cooperation Framework (MSDCF) 2022-2026 agreement signed at the Arthur
Chung Conference Centre on Friday. MSDCF 2022-2026 builds on MSDF 2017-2021, and
covers the entire Caribbean. It is a mechanism through which countries will engage the United
Nations on their progress towards meeting the SDGs.
Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Minister, Gail Teixeira, endorsing this pact noted
Guyana’s triumph over threats to democracy before 1992 and during the 2020 protracted
electoral process. Teixeira said the victories have taught the country a valuable lesson about the
importance of global partnerships. “Global partnerships and global countries and organisations
working together for the betterment of our people, individually and our countries as well as
globally is the only model that we know,” Teixeira said.
Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister, Hugh Todd, said the signing of the
Framework agreement with the UN shows Guyana’s commitment to multilateralism and its
emphasis on global governance. “To the efforts of the United Nations, Guyana is a very
committed partner and we are cognisant of the fact that issues of humanity would need a global
governance approach…,” he said. Todd noted that Guyana is taking the achievement of the
SDGs step by step, and remains committed until the end.
Meanwhile, UN Resident Coordinator in Guyana, Yesim Oruc, said, “Across all the areas of
sustainable development – people, prosperity, planet, peace – there is amazingly great
momentum in Guyana.”
She explained that the agreement will guide the UN in its efforts to align Guyana’s national
development priorities on the way to recover from COVID-19, with its drive to get back on track
with the SDGs, and with the dignity of the human person at the centre of these efforts.