International community must reward poor for conservation efforts — Jagdeo

International community must reward poor for conservation efforts —
Jagdeo
Kaieteur News, 28 October 2007
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.