Three hundred (300) persons have been shortlisted for the 2nd International Human Rights Law Certificate Course, which is a six week programme being conducted by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance.
At the launch of the course last night at the Royal International Hotel, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira said the response to the programme has been overwhelming, with more than one thousand applications submitted.
Given the overwhelming response, Minister Teixeira said a decision was taken to increase the intake from 200 to 300. She said the certificate programme, which has been recognized by the United National Human Rights Council (UNHRC), is taking place at a time when the world is confronted by existing, new and emerging challenges that touch and concern Human Rights.
Quoting the United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Gutterres, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance said war, poverty and climate change are among issues that must be addressed head-on going forward, and the certificate programme takes these emerging challenges into consideration.
“The test of the next eight years will be war, and poverty, climate change, run away technology, run away space technology and the new challenges that we can’t even think about and imagine right now. And in this context, this course that you are doing will go through changes, contextual changes. The first one we did we dealt with the treaties that Guyana ratified, the Guyana Constitution and the Guyana Human Rights architecture, and we also added in the right to development, AI, climate change and food security. In this context today, we have added in anti-corruption and human rights, what’s the connection between corruption and human rights,” Minister Teixeira said.
The launch of the 2nd International Human Rights Law Certificate Course is in keeping with the commitment of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance to advance human rights education, and strengthen the capacity of citizens to understand the application of human rights principles in keeping with Guyana’s human rights treaty obligations and in alignment with the principles and objectives of the UN Charter.
The programme coincides with the UN’s 80th Anniversary, and with it being the first of its kind within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the Ministry of Governance and Parliamentary Affairs extended an invitation to CARICOM nations, but according to Minister Teixeira, the response was less than favorable.
“We decided this year to invite some of the CARICOM countries to send nominees to join the programme virtually. They didn’t respond as we had hoped but we will keep at it because we believe that our CARICOM sister countries can benefit from the programme either by joining our classes and or to create their own,” Minister Teixeira said.
Coordinator of the International Human Rights Law Certificate Course, Anil Persaud said the participants will be educated on the fundamental concepts of Human Rights and the Human Rights architecture here in Guyana including the constitutional, legislative and institutional protections.
“The course is called the International Human Rights Law Certificate Course, and what it is designed to do is introduce participants to the fundamental concepts of Human Rights Law. The course critically examines foundational topics such as the history, development and nature of human rights, the legal foundation of human rights, key human rights instruments and the regional and international frameworks for the protection of human rights. The course also seeks to introduce participants to concepts of rights holders, and duty bearers and the rights and obligations of various players within the international human rights framework,” he explained.
The course will run for a period of six weeks, with virtual sessions being held three times per week, and will conclude on or before Human Rights Day – December 10.
In 2024, of one thousand applications, 200 persons were shortlisted, however, 162 persons graduated from the programme.
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