Welcoming Norway’s willingness to contribute to funding Guyana’s climate change fight, the AFC held discussions on Thursday with a Norwegian delegation on crafting an action plan and the need to put transparent mechanisms in place when funds will be expended.
In a press release, the party said it proposed a discussion on three major issues with the Norwegian delegation when some of its executive members met with them on Thursday. The AFC said it sought discussions on the crafting of an action plan for climate change based on the 2006 National Development Strategy (NDS), the establishment of a truly representative Multi-Stakeholder Consultation and Steering Committee “unlike the highly partisan one” currently established; and the need to put in place transparent mechanisms for any disbursement of funding Guyana will benefit from.
On the latter issue, the AFC ideally wanted Norway to channel funding into a body of reputable Guyanese trustees including at least one Norwegian government appointee and a representative of the indigenous peoples of Guyana, subject to complete oversight by the National Assembly and the Auditor General’s office. The party is gravely concerned that any bilateral support “ought never to go directly to the Office of the President as is proposed in the Government LCDS document.”
The party said it also made presentations about its concerns and sought clarifications about the state of negotiations between Guyana and Norway at the meeting. It said presentations by national executive members Clayton Hall and Martin Cheong were well received. Further, it added that the Norwegian team, lead by spokesperson Marte Nordseth, gave assurances that all questions will be dealt with in time as the process and negotiations had just begun and were ongoing.
The party said it expects that handling the money will be a challenge although the Norwegians believed that internal national processes about how to disburse the funds will have to be finalised by Guyanese. The team said funds will enter the country through the World Bank and that alternative opportunities will have to be found if the existing arrangements have to be halted. They also gave assurances that the rights of Amerindians will be preserved.
As regard the multi-stakeholder consultations the team said it was assured by what has so far transpired however, concerns will be addressed as they come up, by a local team and an expert institution called IID.
The team also said cooperation will be based on results where criteria agreed will have to be realised. The monitoring, reporting and verification model currently under discussion by experts will be the foundation of the cooperation agreement.
Moreover, the Norwegians emphasised that accountability, transparency and principles of good governance will form the base for a relationship with Guyana on its LCDS.
The AFC noted that Norway’s Minister of Environment will be visiting Guyana in November to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with President Bharrat Jagdeo. The modalities of the MoU are currently being worked out.