The scheduled sub-national consultations on the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) have been completed, the LCDS Multi-Stakeholder Steering Committee said on Wednesday.
Since the launch of the LCDS on June 8, there have been 15 sub-national consultations across the country at which 222 communities, coastal and Amerindian, were present and 2,939 persons attended, a press release stated.
The consultations were part of the broader national consultation and awareness process which followed the launch of the LCDS on June 8 this year.
The Multi-Stakeholder Steering Committee, which is chaired by President Jagdeo, has been meeting weekly. The committee, the release noted, is broad-based and includes representatives from government, youth, women, the private sector, indigenous NGOs, conservation NGOs, forestry, mining, and the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).
In response to a request from the Government of Guyana to the Government of Norway for an international monitoring team to assist with the process, IIED was selected to provide oversight for the LCDS, including monitoring of the consultations and other public dissemination and to provide advice for a free, open and transparent procedure, the release stated.
It said further that IIED has since provided a conceptual process framework as a guide which has been accepted by the Steering Committee. The national consultations and awareness process is being implemented in accordance with this framework and is available on the LCDS website.
The full record and report of the discussions and responses at the launch of the LCDS, the sub-national consultations and awareness sessions are presented to the Steering Committee and uploaded to the LCDS website, www.lcds.gov.gy, and are available for public scrutiny and comments.
According to the release, these reports are comprehensive and provide not only questions, comments and suggestions but also responses from the consultation teams.
At each of the LCDS consultation meetings, the consultation team was drawn from representatives from government, Prime Minister Sam Hinds, Ministers Robert Persaud, Dr. Ashni Singh, Dr. Bheri Ramsaran, Dr. Jennifer Westford, Pauline Sukhai, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and Jennifer Webster, Shyam Nokta, Andrew Bishop, James Singh, William Woolford, and Nigel Dharamlall; IIED (Jocelyn Dow, Vanda Radzik); TAAMOG (Peter Persaud, Pamela Mendonca); NADF (Romel Simon, Ashton Simon); and David James.
In addition, personnel from the Office of Climate Change were also present and performed the functions of rapporteurs. Other members of the Multi-Stakeholder Steering Committee also participated in the consultations.
Meanwhile, a series of awareness activities are ongoing, including responding to requests for presentations by interest groups, organizations and the public at large.
And in order to give effect to the Steering Committee’s commitment to transparency, accuracy and timely feedback, the release added, all persons who may have queries, views, advice and any other input on the LCDS, apart from making these public through the numerous available communication channels, are urged to make use of the LCDS website.
Persons who wish to comment on the draft LCDS may also make contact by mail, telephone or email as follows:
Office of Climate Change
Office of the President
Shiv Chanderpaul Drive
Georgetown
Tel. 223 5205 or 223 5231
Email: info@lcds.gov.gy
www.lcds.gov.gy
