Guyana committed to complying with international obligations in bio-tech utilisation

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in collaboration with the University of Guyana (UG) on Tuesday, February 21, hosted a second training workshop on biosafety.

Facilitator of the workshop, Fred Phillips, who is a specialist in the implementation of multilateral agreements, said that this project is designed to get participants reacquainted with bio-safety clearing house; giving them an insight on the state of biosafety at the international level.

All the signatories to the Cartagena Protocol have to provide information about the state of bio-safety and laws in place or any decisions made regarding Living Modified Organisms (LMOs) or Genetically modified Organisms (GMOs). “You will have your chance to make informed decisions on what happens in your territory based on what is happening in the rest of the world,” he told the participants.

Natural Resources and Environment Minister Robert Persaud, who delivered the opening remarks, said that this kind of training is good for Guyana, noting that as a small country with resource constraints, significant efforts are being made to ensure that its capacity is being improved.

He pointed out that Guyana’s framework on biosafety is very comprehensive in terms of preparedness and ensuring that the country’s obligations under the biodiversity conventions, moreso the Cartagena Protocol on bio- safety, are satisfied.

“Guyana, under successive governments, over the years would have taken very bold steps whereby; we have demonstrated firm and strong commitments in terms of sustainable development and moreso, how we manage and utilise natural resources while at the same time safeguard our environment,” Minister Persaud said.

In recent times, Guyana has honed and reinforced this national commitment through the revolutionary Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), which in a way, firmly commits the country at the national level complying with international obligations, while at the same time allowing for continued development without jeopardising the environment.

The minister explained that, “we live in a world where there are a lot of changes and where technology is being employed in all aspects of life, especially in the area of food production… but doing so in a way that it does not lead to other problems, such as importing GMOs that threaten our own biodiversity.”

As a country, Guyana has not yet defined its policy as it relates GMOs. It is still in the assessment stage and learning from the experiences of other jurisdictions, the approach that would best suit the country. He clarified that Guyana does not in any way want to be a “dinosaur” in this field; but rather, take a very cautious approach.

“We are an economy that is in transition and whilst we are developing and expanding the traditional sectors of the economy, we are also looking at new areas of development… this would lend to the utilisation and would require us to enhance our bio-safety arrangements at the national level,” the minister said.

He added that in the Natural Resources Ministry itself, the utilisation of biotechnology whether in the area of mining or the petroleum industry, is becoming more necessary as the economy expands; hence the need to look for ways to ensure a safe transfer into local industries.

In terms of legislation, Minister Persaud made reference to the Plant Health Act, Animal Health Act and Seeds Act, all of which were passed in the National Assembly during the ninth Parliament. These pieces of legislation incorporate features associated with enhancing bio-diversity.

The Animal Health Act provides for the control of the movement of animals into and within Guyana and to prevent the introduction and spread of animal diseases within Guyana and from other countries. The Seeds Act on the other hand, regulates the production, sale, import, export and quality of certain seeds for sowing and to provide for certification of seeds and related matters.

Meanwhile, the Plant Protection Act regulates the importation and exportation of plants, planting materials and objects derived from them, so as to protect them from the introduction of exotic pests and diseases to Guyana, and to control and eradicate diseases and pests within the country. “Whilst we may not have specific bio-safety legislation as it were, we have been updating legislation in the different realm of activities that can lend itself to the utilisation of bio-technology,” Minister Persaud said.

Guyana is one of 12 countries that is part of the Caribbean Regional Bio-Safety Project, where a substantial amount of work has been done in terms of legislation. This will continue because as the development advances, the opportunities and associated risks makes the utilisation of bio-technology very crucial; as such the country has to be prepared and ensure compliance with international obligations.