Minister of Human Services and Social Security Jennifer Webster is heading the parliamentary committee that will be spearheading national consultations on proposals by the United Nations Human Rights Council for the country to abolish the death penalty, corporal punishment and decriminalise consensual same sex relations and discrimination against Lesbians, Gays, Bi-Sexual and Trans-gender (LGBT) persons.
Webster was elected Chairperson of the Special Select Committee on Guyana’s Commitment to the United Nation’s Human Rights Council on Wednesday, a release from Parliament Office said.
Speaker of the Assembly Raphael Trotman convened meetings of several committees on Wednesday for the election of their chairpersons, the release noted.
The work of Webster’s committee was set out in a motion passed before the parliamentary recess in August. The motion, which was moved by Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, was intended to follow up commitments made by the PPP/C administration to the United Nations Human Rights Council since 2010.
Also elected at Wednesday’s meeting was APNU MP Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine, who will chair the Special Select Committee on the appointment of a new, fully-constituted University of Guyana Council to ensure that it has a governing body that has the capacity to transform the institution into a national asset. The mandate of the committee is in keeping with a petition to the National Assembly by the University of Guyana Senior Staff Society, the University of Guyana Workers Union, and the University of Guyana Students Society, which comprise the ‘Operation Rescue UG’ movement. In framing the petition, they declared that they have “no confidence” in the current council, which they do not trust as currently constituted “to conduct its business impartially and in the best interest of the growth and development of the institution.”
Meanwhile, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall will chair the Special Select Committee on the Deeds Registry Bill. The bill is intended to separate the Deeds and Commercial registries as part of a re-organisation that government says is intended to provide a faster service to the public and better serve businesses.
Parliament Office stated that all Chairpersons were urged by Speaker Trotman to ensure their respective committees meet as soon as possible to prepare work programs with an aim to initiate their work.
