Posted May 1st. 2001

Ladies and Gentlemen of the Media:

I attended the Third Summit of the Americas which took place in Quebec City, Canada from April 20 - 22, 2001.

This Summit afforded me the opportunity to state Guyana's position on a number of hemispheric issues as well as to pursue a number of foreign policy initiatives.

In the Summit, we addressed democracy and good governance, creating prosperity in our hemisphere and realising human potential. For Guyana, these issues drew a parallel to our own National Development Strategy and the priorities of the Government for advancing the economic and social progress of the country. We therefore attached much importance not only to the Summit itself but also to every aspect of the preparatory process to ensure that our interests and concerns were adequately addressed in the final documents of the Summit.

I was mandated to make interventions on: "Creating Prosperity" and "the threats posed by globalisation to democracy and good governance." In the Session which dealt with democracy and good governance, I briefed President Bush and Prime Minister Chretien and other colleagues on the situation in Guyana. We are pleased that a democracy clause was inserted in the final declaration. This states that only democratically elected governments will be allowed to participate in the Summit of the Americas process.

In our deliberations on economic growth, I expressed the view that while Guyana believes in the benefits of free trade there was much apprehension in the hemisphere and this was because systems were changing and for some countries preferences were being taken away. I stressed that our commitment to a Free Trade Area of the Americas would be put to the test not at the Summit itself but when we returned home and would reflect itself in the instructions that we give to our negotiators.

With the increasing importance of and dependence upon information technology, I recommended that the regional and multilateral financial institutions needed to adapt to ensure that they develop the capacity to deliver on requests made for assistance in the development of information technology by borrowing member countries. This is an area on which the Government will be placing much emphasis.

We also addressed other issues, which continue to pose a threat to development in the hemisphere in particular the use of and trafficking in illegal drugs, and the concomitant negative effects.

I was heartened to learn of the plans of some of the regional organisations present - the IDB, PAHO and the World Bank in particular - to source and make funding available to assist in the formulation and execution of projects and programmes in support of public governance, sustainable development, poverty reduction, human development, integration and connectivity.

At the conclusion of the Summit we adopted the Declaration of Quebec City and a Plan of Action to strengthen democracy, create prosperity and realise human potential. We also issued a Statement on Connecting the Americas.

Apart from informal exchanges with other Heads of State and Government, I took the opportunity to raise bilateral issues with the Presidents of Brazil, Suriname and Venezuela. I also met with President Wolfenshon of the World Bank; President Iglesias of the IDB and the OAS Secretary General Mr Gaviria.

I also participated in a delegation of CARICOM Leaders meeting with US President George W. Bush. CARICOM Leaders at which we raised issues of concern. The Meeting saw a recommitment by both sides to strengthen US-CARICOM relations.

Just before returning, I met the Guyanese community in Toronto on Sunday April 22 and brought them up to date on the situation in Guyana and the plans of the Government to put in place programmes for institutional strengthening and for the development of our infrastructure and other initiatives geared towards improving the standard of living for all Guyanese.

Thank you!

April 26, 2001