On October 29 and 30, 2020, Guyana will, in its capacity as Chair of the Group of 77 and China (G77 + China), host a virtual Ministerial Level Meeting, under the theme “Maintaining a Low Carbon Development Path towards the 2030 Agenda in the Era of COVID-19”.
Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd recently briefed the press on the two-day Flagship event, the Ministry of Forteogn Affairs said in a release. Minister Todd revealed that His Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, Vice President, the Honourable Bharrat Jagdeo, and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres are among the speakers to address the forum. They will be joined by ministerial and expert level representatives from the membership of the G77 + China to address issues such as sustainable development within the context of a global COVID-19 recovery plan.
According to Minister Todd, the Chairmanship of the Group has provided the opportunity for Guyana to show this kind of leadership, and thereby bring about an even greater focus on issues affecting humanity. Further, he informed that the event will provide a platform for partnership building, knowledge sharing, and lesson learning among the Group’s 134 Member States and China on the implementation of climate action, the mobilization of financial resources, and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), among others.
The forum will provide the opportunity for discourse on the SDGs, climate change, and the COVID-19 pandemic, while highlighting the links between climate action and climate finance, in addition to exploring ways in which the global financial architecture can improve access for developing countries to maintain a climate-resilient development pathway in the context of the 2030 Agenda.
Further, the forum will facilitate knowledge exchange on the Experiences and Lessons for Combatting Climate Change and the role of South-South Cooperation in supporting developing countries in their response, and the need for vital changes in policy and institutions at all levels.
Delegates will also share case studies demonstrating ecosystem approaches that maintain existing carbon stocks, regulate water flow and storage, maintain and increase resilience, reduce vulnerability and of ecosystems and people among others. During the forum, Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) will also be showcased as a model of how climate change can be addressed through low carbon development particularly among developing countries.
The Group of 77 first was established on June 15, 1964, by 77 developing countries and currently serves as a platform for more than 130 states to articulate and promote collective economic interests and enhance joint negotiating capacity on all major international economic issues in the United Nations system.
