-but opposition absent
With only government MPs – who lamented the opposition’s absence – in attendance, the National Assembly yesterday approved a motion on the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) which “welcomes the commitment to public consultations including the parliamentary parties to the finalization of the strategy”.
To the sound of faint chants and a tolling bell emanating from protesters outside, Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud, who had put forward the motion, led off the debate and he chastised the parliamentary opposition for their absence. Debate on the motion had been postponed twice. “Recognizing, Mr. Speaker, once again in our history, we should not be surprised by the erratic and anti-national behaviour we see coming from the opposite side of the House, now we see being joined by the AFC”, he said.
The main opposition PNCR continued their call for an Interpol investigation into allegations that government officials had dealings with confessed drug trafficker, Roger Khan and staged a picketing exercise outside Parliament Buildings as the National Assembly was is session. It was the second such action in as many days. In light of the revelations in a US court, the AFC has also refused to participate in the sessions of the National Assembly and were absent for the second time.
However, yesterday, the government proceeded with the motion and according to Persaud; the LCDS is about the future of Guyana and “the future of humanity”. The absence of the opposition, he said, should tell the Guyanese public how those parties care about them and the future of the country. The government will not be distracted nor will its agenda be derailed and wants to build upon and deepen the consensus received from across the country, he said.
Noting that forests provide a wide range of environmental services, Persaud stated that the world has recognized that the multiple services being provided by forests are vital and this had led to the widespread acceptance that forests are more important and valuable when sustainably managed. The idea of avoided deforestation has long been supported by internationally renowned experts, he noted.
The Agriculture Minister pointed out that over eighty percent of Guyana is covered with pristine forest and the allocated 46% of total state forests provide direct employment for 26,000 persons and brings in annual export revenue of US$58M. He said that there is considerable demand for the unallocated state forest by both local and foreign investors.
However, he noted, government is committed to the sustainable utilization of forest resources. In developing, Guyana is committed to a model where economic development and combating climate change are complementary and not competing objectives, he declared. With this in mind, the LCDS was developed, he noted.
Emphasizing the consultations on the LCDS, the Minister declared that the main comments coming out of these indicate overall support for the strategy, the need to have additional time after the consultations to further discuss with communities and the need to address mining and other land use practices in community areas.
Timely and successful implementation of the Strategy, he said, is dependent on the quantity and timelines of financial incentives to Guyana. If this does not work out, Guyana has to keep its options open, he asserted. This will likely result in adjustments having to be made to the LCDS, he said.
Guyana is of the opinion that negotiations for a new climate agreement in Copenhagen in December 2009 must include incentives for avoided deforestation and standing forests, Persaud declared.
Meantime, Foreign Affairs Minister, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett said that it is time that Guyana is paid for the environmental services it has been providing. “It is also a time for the international community to match their rhetoric with action”. The involvement of Amerindians in the strategy should not be under-estimated; she declared noting that they have been practising sustainable utilization for a long time and represent the majority of people living in the forested areas. “They possess a wealth of traditional knowledge that can help us in managing Guyana in terms of the LCDS”, she asserted. The Minister assured that the government will continue to address land issues.
Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh, hailing the LCDS as “visionary” stated that it is not about asking for donations. “The LCDS is not about development aid. The LCDS makes the point that valuable environmental services are provided by the pristine rainforest that we have…and that these environmental services, should be, indeed, must be valued and must be remunerated”, he declared.
Public Works Minister Robeson Benn also spoke on the Strategy.
The motion sought to have the National Assembly welcome the commitment to public consultations including the parliamentary parties to the finalization of the strategy. The second resolve clause called for the National Assembly to recognize the pioneering nature of the LCDS. Finally, it calls upon the Assembly to endorse Guyana’s advocacy in the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) process for a new post 2012 Agreement that includes REDD (Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation), avoided deforestation and sustainable forest management, to be decided in Copenhagen in December 2009 and support its use at international fora, including the UNFCCC Conference of the Parties in Copenhagen.