The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) says it is disturbed by the absence of any meaningful effort to implement constitutional reform, saying efforts so far have been token.
Recalling that the APNU+AFC coalition had prior to national elections in 2015, made a “prominent commitment” to implement constitutional reform, the GHRA in expressing its disappointment at the lack of movement, said that “efforts with respect to constitutional reform to date have been token, lacking ambition, monopolized by lawyers and bereft of broad-based legitimacy.”
The statement came after the GHRA held its 24th Members General Meeting last Monday. The human rights organisation also expressed concern about other issues. In relation to women’s rights, which it described as unquestionably the most serious human rights issue in Guyana, the GHRA said that an imposing catalogue of progressive legislation co-exists with a far less impressive level of implementation.
“‘Mainstreaming gender’ has substituted for promoting women’s rights in public policy, harnessed programmatically to ‘educating’ rather than disempowering men, all within the complacent timeline of 2030 set for the Sustainable Development Goals,” it said.
In relation to LGBT rights, the statement said that the GHRA continues to advocate for the purging of homophobia which prevents political parties, legal institutions and too many local religious organisations from supporting a humane, modern policy on all issues relating to gender identity, orientation and equality.
In terms of environmental protection, the GHRA said that it is encouraged by the public expressions of concern by the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) over the impact of mining on rivers and steps taken to curtail new mining leases in fragile areas.
In two Reports on the impact of mining on indigenous communities, the GHRA indicated that unless medium-scale gold mining, in particular, is brought under a more effective regulatory regime, the negative impact on indigenous communities and their traditional ways of life will be terminal, the statement said.
Meantime, resolutions passed at the AGM included calls for action on an accelerated process of electoral reforms and mandating the GHRA to campaign for a principled approach to oil and gas in keeping with Guyana’s constitutional and international commitments. A power-point presentation on rights-based advocacy which the GHRA hopes will assist civic organisations and interested citizens in democratising management of the extractive sector, was also done.
The meeting saw Co-Chairs of the GHRA – Sharon Atkinson, Rudy Collins and Mike McCormack – being returned for another two years.
Newly elected members of the Executive included Larry Carryl (civil engineer), Padmoutie Pooran (retired Head teacher), Mahendra Doraisami (environmentalist), Yaavendra Ramsaroop (teacher), Dolly Chambers (Computer-Aided Design technician) and Kersey Welch-Duncan (Medical Doctor). Returning members of the Committee were Kerry-Anne Cort, (environmental data-analyst), Michelle Kalamandeen (remote sensing scientist), Cecil Morris (disabilities activist), Natasha George (data-processor), and Najuma Nelson (renewable energy).)
Board Secretary Kalamandeen presented the Executive’s Report for the period while the Treasurer’s Report was also presented.
The statement also noted the creation of Policy Forum Guyana.
