- discussions centered on youth, poverty reduction, education among other areas

Georgetown, GINA, March 31, 2008

Head of State Bharrat Jagdeo along with Cabinet Ministers today met the Regional Director and Assistant Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Rebeca Grynspan and Deputy Regional Director Niky Fabiancic to discuss major developmental issues which the Organisation is willing to support.
Accompanying the visiting team was the UNDP Resident Representative Aboubacry Tall.
The Head of State was accompanied by Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr. Frank Anthony, Minister of Human Services and Social Security Priya Manickchand and Minister within the Ministry of Finance Jennifer Webster.
The UNDP’s presence in Guyana is intended to signal support for various programmes and identify ways in which co-operation can be strengthened between the UN agencies and Guyana.

The talks between the two groups focused on several priority areas on the climate change agenda such as the renewable energy programme and the global challenges faced as a result of rising fuel prices.
According to Grynspan, who is a Costa Rican national, there is an acknowledgement by many of President Jagdeo’s adamancy in the fight against deforestation and preservation.
“Guyana, Costa Rica, and Papau New Guinea are some of the countries that we see coming in the international discussions very forcefully for preservation in the fight against deforestation. We agreed on the importance of this and conveyed to him our willingness to support the country to take part in those negotiations to strengthen their voice for those issues,” the UNDP Regional Director said.
Deputy Regional Director Fabiancic noted that environmental issues, more specifically the climate change phenomenon is a significant part of the UN’s agenda, since it calls for identifying ways in which co-operation can be strengthened by environmental activists, so that countries vulnerable to climate change can benefit from the international co-operation.
Employment and training opportunities for youths were also recognised as a main concern as it was agreed in the discussions that investing in this sector is a worthwhile investment for the future.
In an invited comment, Grynspan noted that during the discussions she conveyed a commitment to support the local youth programme. The visitors also discussed poverty reduction, disaster and risk management which are also some of the UNDP’s priority areas.