Presentation to the 150th Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly

Honourable Warren K. McCoy, MP
Minister of Information and Public Affairs
Cooperative Republic of Guyana

Tashkent, Uzbekistan
Theme: “Parliamentary Action for Social Development and Justice”

Honourable President of the IPU, Excellencies, Distinguished Delegates,

I bring warm greetings from the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and am honoured to contribute to this timely debate on Parliamentary Action for Social Development and Justice.

At the heart of this Assembly lies a powerful reminder that people, their dignity, opportunity, and well-being must remain central to sustainable development. The global call for a new social contract, championed by the United Nations Secretary-General, speaks directly to the imperative of building more inclusive, just, and equitable societies.

In Guyana, the government led by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has been steadfast in putting people first, not as a slogan but as a governing principle. Over the past four years, we have pursued a transformative agenda that resonates deeply with the core pillars identified in this Assembly: poverty eradication, decent and productive work, and social inclusion.

Poverty Eradication and Access to Basic Services

Guyana has invested boldly in universal healthcare and education, reconstructing and building new school and health facilities nationally into state-of-the-art installations, expanding access in rural and hinterland areas through modernized infrastructure, including the addition of Starlink technologies, and increasing teacher and healthcare worker training.

We have made housing and homeownership more accessible than ever before through subsidized housing schemes and land allocations, empowering more than 50,000 low-income families with stability and dignity in just four years.

Additionally, we have introduced progressive cash transfer programmes for every adult citizen, school-aged children, and vulnerable populations, including the elderly and persons with disabilities, ensuring that no one is left behind in our development march.

Decent and Productive Work

Guyana has emerged as a global model for leveraging natural resource wealth to invest in human capital and economic diversification. We are exploiting our new-found oil and gas resources while concomitantly preserving and expanding the protected areas of our more than 80% pristine forest cover and ecosystems.

We are leveraging revenues from these resources for investments in our human capital, infrastructure, agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, and ICT. We are creating new pathways for job creation, socio-economic empowerment, and intergenerational wealth creation, especially for youth and women.

Our current upskilling programmes include:

• A 30,000-scholarship academy providing international study opportunities from certificate to PhD levels;
• A 150,000 Young Coders Initiative;
• A national needs-based skills training access window through technical institutes across the country and collaboration with the global COURSERA Digital Platform; and
• The Women Innovation and Investment Network (WIIN), launched in 2021, which empowers women through skills training and entrepreneurial support with access to wide-ranging accredited courses and seed funds. As of September 2024, WIIN has trained over 12,000 women and released tens of millions of dollars. In 2024, the programme expanded to include men.

Additionally, the Small Business Bureau has significantly expanded access to finance and training for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), with the government guaranteeing 50% of the low-interest loans. We are also supporting the transition from informal to formal employment through business registration drives and labour market reforms.

Social Inclusion and Participation

Our government continues to promote constitutional reform, legal equity, and targeted programmes to uplift Indigenous communities, Afro-Guyanese, women, and young people. We are strengthening the voice of our citizens through parliamentary outreach, community consultations, and platforms for public dialogue.

Guyana’s Youth Parliament, now nearly a decade old, continues to provide a robust space for civic engagement and leadership development among the next generation, complemented by the Speaker’s Annual Open Debate Series.

We also recognize that digital equity is key to future inclusion. Our national digital transformation agenda includes:

• Expanding broadband connectivity to hinterland regions;
• Promoting ICT literacy; and
• Positioning Guyana as a digital hub in the Caribbean and South America.

One standout innovation is telemedicine, now introduced across the hinterlands, making it the most extensive telemedicine programme in the Caribbean Region.

Empowering Women through Legislation

Guyana has demonstrated a strong commitment to advancing gender equality and empowering women through significant legislative measures, including:

• The Domestic Violence Act of 1996, which protects victims of domestic abuse and offers legal recourse and restraining mechanisms; and
• The Sexual Offences Act of 2010, which introduced comprehensive provisions to address various forms of sexual violence and abuse.

These laws, among others, have strengthened institutional support for women’s rights and protection. Today, women constitute nearly 40% of Parliament and over 50% of judicial officers, including the Chancellor of the Judiciary and the Chief Justice, reflecting our dedication to inclusive governance and legal equity.

Closing

Excellencies, friends,

Guyana believes deeply that social justice must be grounded in opportunity and fairness but also in the tangible delivery of services and rights. Our experience shows that progressive leadership, fiscal responsibility, and inclusive governance are not mutually exclusive; they are mutually reinforcing.

As we look ahead to the Second World Summit for Social Development, Guyana urges all parliamentarians to be champions for a renewed social compact, one that values equity over exclusion, solidarity over fragmentation, and people over profit.

Let us together reclaim the promise of social development, not as a theoretical ideal, but as a practical, people-powered reality.

Thank you.