International community must reward poor for conservation efforts - Jagdeo

Kaieteur News, 28 October 2007
International community must reward poor for conservation efforts - Jagdeo
Toshaos from across the country have all agreed to support a resolution
urging that the international community creates a framework in which
sustainable forestry and conservation practices are adequately rewarded.
President Bharrat Jagdeo made the announcement on Friday evening at the
Umana Yana during the launching of the Wai Wais Community Owned Conservation
Area.
The Head of State said that on Friday he had a discussion with the Toshaos
at the National Toshaos Conference and they all agreed to the resolution.
"Although we may be practising sound forestry or conservation here, in other
parts of the world some of the rich countries are not adjusting their
standards. They are continuing to pollute and they are not committing
themselves to any cut in greenhouse gases,"
If they do commit themselves, the Head of State said, it is often done as a
public relations exercise.
"Because of this, we bear more of the burden of saving the world than these
rich countries, and that should change. Poor countries should not bear the
bigger burden of saving the world in which everyone lives and in which the
developed countries enjoy a good standard of living without rewarding us for
this," President Jagdeo said.
He said that it is on this basis that Guyana is going to be lobbying for a
change in the Kyoto protocol, pursuing that it should become friendlier to
countries like ours that have large forests.
According to the Head of State, while Guyana contributes to the preservation
of biodiversity, it must first of all have to ensure that the biodiversity
is protected.
He urged Toshaos to guard against scientists exploiting their areas.
The President added that scientists go into some countries and patent stuff
that are growing in those countries 'forever,' and 'very' little benefits
flow to the people who live there.
"We have to guard against that, Toshaos, and not only in this area but in
every other area...When the scientist comes there to work, they have to
comply with our standards, and if anything is discovered, the people of this
country and your specific community will benefit from it, not just those
companies or scientists that come in here.," the President said.
On Friday, the Head of State also lashed out at Barama Company Limited
saying that the company will be sent packing if it cannot comply with the
standards of Guyana 's Forestry sector.
President Jagdeo said that the company is a guest in the country.
Under the theme 'Building Capacity for Good Governance,' the National
Toshaos conference began on Monday and ended on Friday.
Some 144 Toshaos and senior councillors from an estimated 100 Amerindian
communities had been engaged in discussing issues pertinent to the
development of Amerindians at the meeting.
A National Toshaos Commission and the Indigenous Peoples Commission were
also set up during the conference.