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Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr. Vindhya Persaud poses with Gerald Noto, the UNDP Regional Representative and Deputy Regional Representative, Linda McGuire. (Photo: Ministry of Human Services and Social Security/ March 5, 2024)

The spotlight initiative was signed by the Government of Guyana, European Union (EU) and United Nations (UN) in October, 2020 and is a three-year programme funded by the EU. Guyana is one of six Caribbean countries to benefit from the initiative that involves partnerships among nations to respond to all forms of violence against women.

This contribution is part of the European Union’s efforts to strengthen Guyana’s abilities to properly monitor these cases and establish forms of mitigating the issue. In 2023 the UNPD’s Spotlight Initiative concluded and the government in 2024 took national ownership of the facets that were presented.

Now it has to establish the interventions and support for victims and that is where the Hope and Justice Center plays a significant role.

“We must open lines of communication and as the ministry is doing, deal with conflict in a very appropriate way where we acknowledge it for what it is for,” the minister said.

Gerald Noto, the UNDP Regional Representative said data collection and documentation to mitigate and monitor these reports is crucial for making provisions of representation and support for victims

“We work on information and data pillar and we work with the ministry and government to develop the GBV data base that is even in the last stages of expanding the capacity to be able to generate, analyse and introduce data to strengthen the policies,” Noto said.

The Deputy Regional Representative, Linda McGuire also said data is essential for understanding progress and creating effective targeted responses for success.

Cemetery Road project in Georgetown must be completed by the end of March 2024 or the contract awarded to Avinash Constructing and Scrap Metal Inc. will be terminated.

Edghill visited this project on Tuesday and expressed much disappointment that it is yet to be completed.

“… this should have been completed. It is clear that the contractor has not done what he said he will do,” Edghill said after visiting the project.

Because of the obvious delay, Edghill said the contractor will be required to submit a revised work plan that demonstrates how the project will be completed by the end of March. If that cannot be done. Edghill said there will be consequences.

Some of the incomplete work at the Conversation Tree to Dennis Street project

“If the work is not completed, he will be terminated and removed from the project (and) we will have to put another contractor to complete it,” he said.

After an initial delay, the project to upgrade the existing two-lane Cemetery Road to four lanes was extended to the end of January, 2024. Avinash Constructing and Scrap Metal Inc. was awarded the $475M contract in 2022.

But this isn’t the only project facing delays.

The $1.8 billion Conversation Tree to Dennis Street Project is once again embroiled in issues as the Trinidadian company, Kallco Guyana Inc. has been unable to complete the project despite an extension

Edghill also visited the site on Tuesday and hinted at possible sanctions for the company, which was given up to the end of January to finish the project.

Delays were also observed at the Aubrey Barker road expansion and Lamaha Street Extension projects. Edghill said all of these delays are unacceptable.

“We will not allow contractors to delay projects without consequences,” Edghill said.

migrant labour policy to help the country cope with labour shortages and bilateral arrangements are being worked out for the supply of workers, Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton said recently.

Hamilton said companies can seek work permits from the Ministry of Home Affairs so they can import workers needed to help advance their projects. And this has already begun.

But he explained that the government is pursuing a refined migrant labour policy that balances the need for workers and the focus on upskilling and employing as many Guyanese as possible.

That policy would possibly include provisions for country to country arrangements.

“What we’re discussing is going beyond that where perhaps, you have bilateral arrangements, country to country arrangements, country and some company arrangements.

“We have to refine it,” Hamilton said during a recent panel discussion.

Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton

He added that the government has to figure what countries might be engaged for this initiative.

“The other important issue is we have to work out is where the people will come from. Are you bringing them from India or Africa? Are you bringing them from Spanish-speaking countries? That’s another dynamic we have to grapple with,” Hamilton said.

But before any decisions are made, Hamilton said the policy will be out for public consultations.

Guyana’s labour shortage is a well-ventilated issue, with the government organising several consultations before.

A recent Labour Assessment Survey details how 53, 000 workers (skilled and unskilled) will be needed over the next five years to service the agriculture, construction, health, transportation/logistics and oil and gas sectors.

That number is steadily rising and now is estimated at 60, 000. These are just five of about 20 sectors currently employing and in growing numbers, about 40 per cent of the current workforce.

The survey was conducted by the Centre for Local Business Development with support from the University of Guyana and funded by the Greater Guyana Initiative – a partnership with the Stabroek Block co-venturers ExxonMobil Guyana, Hess and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana.

worsening crisis in Haiti.

Dr. Ali, in an address on his official Facebook page on Tuesday, said he and other CARICOM leaders have been engaging Haiti’s Prime Minister Ariel Henry on the situation.

“CARICOM has been singularly focused on the events unfolding in Haiti over the past few days

“… The complexity requires us in these consultations to ensure that a Haitian-led and Haitian-owned solution can be achieved as soon as possible,” Dr. Ali said.

With the situation still deteriorating, Dr. Ali said CARICOM remains “deeply engaged” and further updates on the bloc’s deliberations will be communicated as soon as possible.

President of Guyana and Chairman of CARICOM, Dr Irfaan Ali is flanked by other CARICOM leaders (Photo: News Room/Yusuf Ali/February 28, 2024)

Just last week, as President Ali hosted the biannual CARICOM summit in Georgetown, Haiti was a key matter discussed.

Though the leaders focused on the humanitarian crisis and gang violence that has engulfed the country, Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis told reporters that the leaders were also keenly focused on advancing much-needed political processes.

But before fresh elections are held, several other matters must be addressed. One, Davis said, is that a needs assessment must be done to support planning for the elections. The assessment team should include representatives from CARICOM, the United Nations and the Organization of American States (OAS).

Since the leaders left Guyana, however, Haiti has been plunged into further turmoil.

Mr Henry left Haiti last week to attend a regional summit in Guyana. According to the BBC, Henry then travelled to Kenya to sign a deal on the deployment of a multinational police force to Haiti.

While he was in Kenya, a coalition of gangs led by a former police officer, Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier, went on the offensive, attacking police stations and storming two of Haiti’s biggest prisons. About a dozen people were killed in the attack on the prisons. Thousands of inmates escaped and remain on the loose.

A minister standing in for Mr Henry declared a 72-hour state of emergency.

Earlier Tuesday, Haitian gangs began attempts to take over the Port-au- Prince airport.

The challenges of the already fragile country boiled over in 2021, when its President Jovenel Moise was assassinated. Gang violence has engulfed the country and the United Nations (UN) estimates that conflict in the country killed about 5,000 people last year.

Henry has been functioning as interim Prime Minister and though he promised to allow fresh elections to unfold.