Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd on Saturday participated virtually in the Inter-national Conference in Solidarity with Venezuelan Refugees and Migrants and their Host Countries and Communities and committed to Guyana’s continued support to Venezuela refugees.
The conference was held in a hybrid format in Brussels, Belgium.
According to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs release the conference was organised by the Government of Canada and the European Union, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the Inter-Agency Coordination Platform for Refugees & Migrants from Venezuela (R4V). It also featured the participation of a broad range of actors, including host governments, international organizations, UN agencies, donors, the private sector, and civil society.
The release also informed that the principal objectives of the conference were to maintain the visibility of the crisis and to continue to generate resources to support host countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that are undertaking the task of integrating Venezuelan refugees and migrants into their society.
In his remarks, Minister Todd highlighted the coordinated response of the Government of Guyana to address the situation of migrants from Venezuela through the Multiagency Coordination Committee. He indicated that as a matter of priority, the government continues to offer registration and regularisation services, socio-economic and cultural integration into the Guyanese society, the provision of healthcare, education for migrant children, referrals to protective and social services, and necessary support for the vulnerable. He also underscored the commitment of the Government of Guyana to render humanitarian assistance to all migrants from Venezuela, the release added.
