SPEECH BY FOREIGN MINISTER AT UNICEF STRATEGIC REVIEW OF ITS WORK

REMARKS BY THE HON. DR. KAREN CUMMINGS

MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AT THE UNICEF

STRATEGIC MOMENT OF REFLECTION (SMR)

17TH SEPTEMBER, 2019

Distinguished Representative of UNICEF, Ms. Sylvie Fouet

Honourable Ministers and Senior Officials of Government

Distinguished and Guests

Members of the Media

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good Morning,

Just a few weeks ago I had the pleasure to participate in the UNICEF mid-year review. Today I am again honoured to join you in a strategic reflection on the UNICEF Joint Country Programme Cycle for 2017-2021 which is aimed at supporting Guyana in meeting its development goals for children and adolescents through legislations and services in alignment with the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and to the no child left behind policy. Needless to say the two undertakings are directly related and mutually reinforcing.  At their core, they speak to taking stock, an ordering of priorities and core correction to assure both greater efficiency and effectiveness in our future approaches.

From the perspective of the Government of Guyana, it is our hope that this exercise will enable adequate and strategic analysis of achievements, gaps and the approaches needed to progressively achieve our targets.

More so, today’s reflection embraces a commitment to transparency and allows our joint efforts to be better aligned with national, regional and global priorities, particularly as it relates to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.  In this regard, the Joint Programme has contributed to the progressive realisation of the rights of women and children in Guyana, in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). I am pleased, on behalf of the Government and people of Guyana to acknowledge the consistent advocacy and support of UNICEF in this area. Guyana, therefore, considers the Guyana / UNICEF partnership to be of increasing continued relevance and importance as it complements Guyana’s national development focus.

Since its establishment, UNICEF’s efforts have been directed towards general programmes for the improvement of children’s welfare through its life-cycle based approach and recognising the particular importance of early childhood development and adolescence. UNICEF – Guyana signed its first five-year programme in 1994 and has supported the efforts of the Government of Guyana to ensure the advancement of children’s wellbeing across the length and breadth of Guyana.

Against this backdrop, the 2017-2021 Country Programme is intended to contribute significantly to our national policies by extending services for basic education, the right to clean water and sanitation, and making early childhood, care and development priorities through its lifelong learning service. Our strategic partnership has generated fruitful results. The Government of Guyana is pleased with the achievements made and remains committed to the protection and provision of a good life for all Guyanese.

This Strategic Moment of Reflection (SMR) is, therefore, a welcome initiative opportunity that will allow the assessment of the changing operational environment and its impact on programming. It is an opportunity to gauge results achieved (2017-2019), good practices, lessons learned, UNICEF’s positioning, the value added as a partner as well as necessary programme adjustments – relating to outputs, resource allocation, geographical areas of intervention, human capacity and program management.

Two imperatives stand out in our reflection. The first is to ensure that implementation of the Country Programme continues to align with the Green State Development Strategy which provides an overarching medium-term roadmap for the cohesive, integrated and systematic development of Guyana and achievement of the SDGs.

The second imperative derives from Guyana’s report on the SDGs presented at the High-Level Political Forum at the UN last July. The report makes clear that important health and educational outcomes vary based on geographical location and that deliberate and sustained efforts will be required to ensure equity is achieved throughout the length and breadth of Guyana. This geographical challenge is one that has also come to notice in other international reports. While the Government of Guyana has pursued determined efforts to provide all children with equal opportunities, we will need to continue to collaborate with partners such as UNICEF to ensure that the objectives come to full fruition. We commend the efforts of UNICEF especially in supporting the expansion of the juvenile justice system. In fact, only yesterday, a new specialised sexual offences court was established for the first time in Essequibo.

Ladies and gentlemen,

This two-day meeting is organised around three vital areas: (1) scanning the environment, (2) prioritised and strategic visioning,

Minister Cummings at the head table with UNICEF Representative, Sylvie Fouet (l) and Head of the delegation from Suriname and Policy Official from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Public Housing, Angela Salmo (r)

(3) revisiting strategies and modalities. These areas are themselves key deliverables of the SMR. The SMR contemplates the development of a Strategic Intent Memo which includes; a strategic vision to inform the next two (2) years of the implementation of the Country Programme based on the understanding of the environment and the planning scenario; identification of key priorities and elements to inform/refresh the overarching theory of change for the next two (2) years of implementing the Country Programme; and to identify key enablers of program effectiveness and efficiency.

Let me, therefore, take the opportunity to applaud the all-encompassing support of UNICEF to the Government and people of Guyana through the 2017-2021 Joint Country Programme Cycle Further let me assure you of the Government’s commitment to continued collaboration, a mutually beneficial partnership and to championing the security, interests and rights of all the children of Guyana.

I wish you every success in the deliberations ahead.