Vice President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Carl B. Greenidge, recently joined Foreign Ministers and Heads of Delegations of Member States in Dhaka, Bangladesh for the 45th Session of the Council of Foreign Ministers of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
The session was held under the theme, “Islamic Values for Sustainable Peace and Development”. During the meeting held between May 4 and 5, Minister Greenidge lauded the OIC’s commitment to peace, solidarity and development.
“Guyana’s efforts in these areas are encompassed in a national development plan which focuses on social cohesion and inclusion; well-being, education and good life; sustainable use of biodiversity and resources efficiency; de-carbonization and climate resilience: sustainable finance and investments and good governance,” Minister Greenidge said.
This is in alignment with the 2030 Agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), he further stated. The OIC continues to play a major role in development around the world and in Guyana, as evidenced by a recent pledge of financial and technical assistance to the tune of US$900M that will be placed towards Guyana’s key development areas, including economic infrastructure, rural development, human development, trade and competitiveness.
According to the Minister, in the midst of a global search for peace, unity and stability, efforts to advance the development of our countries and relieve the suffering of our peoples are reflected in the policies to address migration, climate change, combat terrorism and intolerance and address inequalities.
“These must be reinforced at the multilateral level,” he emphasized.
The Minister called on OIC members to reaffirm their commitment to the enforcement of peace and solidarity for all, particularly where development is on the line.
The economist also recommitted the efforts of the Government of Guyana towards fostering an environment of respect, tolerance and justice, “as we work towards the eradication of poverty and realizing peaceful coexistence of our societies in order to establish sustainable development of our peoples”.