The Riyadh Declaration commits Guyana to establishing a ministerial committee to implement decisions of Arab-Islamic-US summit

Dear Editor, The just concluded Arab-IslamicAmerican Summit held in Riyadh, capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia was of great international significance. Fifty five Arab and Islamic countries, in addition to the US, attended the summit.

At the opening session many would have been pleased or displeased to hear the US President say: “America will not seek to impose our way of life on others but to outstretch our hands in the spirit of cooperation and trust.” He went on to add: “We are not here to lecture, we are not here to tell other people how to live, what to do, who to be or how to worship.”

Guyana participated in its capacity as a member of the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC).

President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana David Granger led the Guyanese delegation at the Summit. Guyana and Suriname are the only two member states of Caricom that belong to the OIC.

The problem with summitry is always the challenge to follow up and to implement the decisions adopted by all countries present. That challenge is further compounded by the paucity of institutional and human resource capacity to implement the decisions adopted, having regard to the national priorities of governments. The financial implications to implement decisions apart, there are also political/ legal considerations of a national character that must be taken into account. Thus, it is left to each government to see how best they can implement the decisions of one summit or the other.

At the Arab-Islamic-America Summit, President Granger was one of the signatories to the Riyadh Declaration. On his return to Guyana, the President will be faced once more, with the persistent demand to convene a press conference to brief the media on the happenings at the summit. Should he refuse, as he is wont to do, his action will only serve to again provoke the ire of the media and by extension, an enquiring public.

The President must clarify whether he actually addressed the summit in plenary session or merely spoke on the sidelines of the world gathering, as reported. He must inform the nation whether he had a bilateral meeting with King Salman, or was it just a meeting with the “King’s Representative.”

At Riyadh, the participating nations in their Declaration said: “Underscored the importance of non-interference in the domestic affairs of other countries in flagrant violation of the principles of international law and good neighbourhood and to respect their independence, sovereignty and integrity.”

The Granger administration may wish to explain to the Guyanese people how it signed on to this formulation at Riyadh while at the COFCOR meeting in Barbados it turned a Nelson’s eye to the same principles on the subject of Venezuela. In addition, the President would need to inform the nation what contribution Guyana intends to make, if any, to the ‘Terrorist Financing Targeting Center’ which was established during the summit. This centre was established to combat the financing of terrorism. He must be called on to say in what way, if any, Guyanese taxpayers would be contributing to the ‘Global Centre for combatting extremist/ thought ideology’ known as ETIDAL or ‘moderation’ launched during the summit.

The President must be asked to clarify whether ranks of the Guyana Defence Force will be committed to participate in

the Islamic Military Coalition to combat terrorism. This military coalition aims to mobilize some 34,000 reserves across the Arab and Islamic world. Finally, he must be asked whether Guyana will apply for membership in the Middle East Strategic Alliance.

Membership in the Alliance will be open to all Arab and Islamic countries. Guyana as a member of the OIC is entitled to be a party to any, or all of these bodies. Whether it will exercise that option or not, it is necessary for the nation to know in the public interest.

The Riyadh Declaration commits the Government of Guyana to put in place a ministerial committee and other sub-committees as a follow-up mechanism to implement and monitor the decisions of the summit. President Granger should announce when he plans to constitute the ministerial committee and of which ministers it will be comprised.

Another summit has come and gone and the declaration arising therefrom will, years from now, be found covered with dust atop those from previous summits attended by this government. Yours faithfully, Clement J Rohee