FOREIGN MINISTER PARTICIPATES IN HIGH LEVEL CLIMATE CHANGE MEETING OF THE COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT (CHOGM)

INFORMATION NOTE || The Honourable Hugh Hilton Todd, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, today Wednesday, June 22, 2022, was invited as a High-level Panelist to attend a Climate Change Meeting of the Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM), held at the Kigali Convention Centre, Rwanda, under the theme: ‘Climate Change and the Commonwealth: Accelerating Action’.

The Climate Breakfast meeting today facilitated dialogue between Member States and UN partners around the key issues that will be addressed by the Call to Action on Living Lands (CALL) programme which aims to support member states to deliver their commitments under the three Rio Conventions. The Programme will also renew commitment and garner support for the implementation of the Commonwealth Living Lands Charter, a call to Action on Living Lands beyond CHOGM 2022.

Minister Todd, in his capacity as a High-level panelist, under the theme: ‘Call to Action: The Commonwealth Call to Action on Living Lands’, underscored that the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for action, solidarity, and inclusivity to combat the climate crises. Minister Todd also stated that renewed commitment at all levels is paramount to building a resilient future through the boosting of biodiversity conservation, reducing land degradation, and enhancing climate change adaptation and mitigation ambitions.

Minister Todd further indicated to the meeting that for Guyana, biodiversity loss and land degradation as a result of the onset of climate change, pose a threat to the livelihoods and health of the Guyanese people, as well as the productivity of our economy. However, the Minister highlighted that the Government of Guyana has adopted a proactive approach by aligning its national policies with the goals of the three Rio Conventions which the Government of Guyana is pursuing through its expanded Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030 (LCDS 2030) – an inclusive and sustainable development agenda that combats climate change.

The Honourable Minister in closing stressed that it would be useful for Member States to explore synergies between the CALL programme and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction to strengthen the implementation of both instruments since disasters exacerbate development challenges and the lack of early warning systems risk management capabilities, increases vulnerabilities in many developing countries.

22 June 2022