Poverty eradication, Climate Change fight requires addressing all forms of inequality

Sep 23, 2021 News

…Pres Ali tells World Leaders as Guyana adopts another Int’l Declaration

Kaieteur News – Poverty eradication, protecting our planet and building a peaceful world cannot be achieved without addressing all forms of inequality.

Head of State, President Irfaan Ali, addresses World Leaders during the 76th UNGA in New York, USA, flanked by Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, and Guyana’s Permanent Ambassador to the UN, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister, Hugh Todd (in background)

At least this is according to Guyana’s Head of State, President Irfaan Ali, who yesterday joined with World Leaders at the 76th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting in New York, USA, to adopt yet another international political declaration—Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.
He has since committed that Guyana will work towards full implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.
Held under the theme, “Reparations, racial justice and equality for people of African descent,” President Ali in his address remarked that “the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action is a comprehensive, action-oriented document that proposes concrete measures to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance and emphasised that equality and non-discrimination are not only fundamental principles of international human rights and international humanitarian law but are at the root of political, social and economic development.”
He was adamant, “Despite advances made over decades of struggle, racism and racial discrimination continue to be sources of conflicts and inequalities among people in all Regions of the world.”
To this end, the Guyanese president told world leaders, “as we collectively strive to achieve the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals), we must be conscious that the overarching objectives of poverty eradication, protecting our planet and building a peaceful world cannot be achieved without addressing all forms of inequality.”
He used the occasion to lament however, “unfortunately, too often in the political arena, ethnic insecurities, real or perceived, and race are used opportunistically to manipulate issues in a manner that promotes tensions and racial feelings.”
President Ali observed too that “social media, whilst a powerful tool to inform people, has also been much misused.”
To this end, President Ali remarked that the Guyana Government “will continue to work assiduously to eradicate all forms of racism and racial discrimination and to ensure inclusive development with equal access and sharing in Guyana’s wealth.”
As such, he said Guyana welcomes the inclusion of reparations in the theme of the meeting and that the abolition of slavery “was a defining moment in our country’s history.”
Guyana, he said, is committed to gaining international reparations for the crime of African enslavement.
The President was adamant however, “reparative justice must not only include a full and unconditional apology from those responsible and/or who benefitted from the transatlantic trade in captive Africans and their consequent enslavement but must go beyond apology.”
In this regard, President Ali related that Guyana will continue to support the efforts being made within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) to press for the convening of an international summit, to demand reparative justice for the victims of the transatlantic slave trade, African enslavement, and its enduring effects.
To this end, he said, “Guyana was pleased to join in adopting the Political Declaration” and that “we reaffirm our commitment to the implementation of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.”