President urges planners for decade of people of African descent to step up work
President David Granger yesterday urged the members of the Country Coordinating Mechanism (CCM), a core group of the International Decade of People of African Descent (IDPAD) to refine and erect an “economical structure” in its quest to implement programmes that would improve the quality of life of people of African Descent.
He issued the call to the group at the Cuffy 250 Committee’s Fifth Annual State of the African Guyanese forum which was held under the theme, “Repositioning African Guyanese for Justice, Recognition and Sustainable Development” at the Critchlow Labour College.
At the forum, Granger in delivering the keynote address said that the United Nations General Assembly Resolution of 2014 would have called on member states to take concrete and practical steps to combat racism, racial discrimination and related intolerance faced by people of African descent.
“The resolution outlined areas of action by member states and the Co-operative Republic of Guyana is one of those member states. We therefore have an obligation, not an option to take action in accordance with the UN declaration.”
Following this call he said that the CCM has been formed and they would have completed a 187page report which the group should seek to refine if it is to bear the burden of the work to be done.
He informed that while he would have heard a brief synopsis of the report, he is sure that a work plan can come out of the report once the group works swiftly. “I am sure that the report can be scrutinized within coming days and weeks so that we can get a work plan out of the report.”
As it relates to Government’s support in relation to financial allocation, the President said that he would be making representation in October when Parliament comes out of recess. “As far as the state is concerned, in July we began our budget cycle and within ten weeks the budget for financial year 2018