Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly – Guyana (IDPADA-G), Olive Sampson today said while the Guyana Government supported the call for a Second Decade for People of African Descent at the UN Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, it has fallen short in outlining a clear plan of action that would address the issues confronting Afro-Guyanese including systematic racism, the lack of reparatory justice and the need for sustainable development with Afro-Guyanese communities.   

Sampson was part of the IDPADA-G delegation at the meeting in Geneva, Switzerland.

“The Government of Guyana did not make any contribution in terms of ideas or recommendations nor did it make any commitment to a plan of action that would target development of the African Guyanese community with the objective of being transformational and ensuring equity,” Sampson said, while appearing virtually during a press conference held at the Critchlow Labour College today. 

Sampson said that at the meeting, Government’s Delegation led by Minister Oneidge Walrond, sought to establish that while it supports a Second Decade, there are sufficient laws, regulations, programmes and other safeguards that protect all citizens of Guyana, and as such, there is no need for any special action.

Sampson represented IDPADA-G along side Attorneys-at-Law Nigel Hughes and Darren Wade at the just concluded UN Permanent Forum for People of African Descent in Geneva, Switzerland. 

Hughes said while the Government’s posture during the current Decade (2015-2024) is less than desirable, sidelining IDPADA-G and cutting off its annual subvention, it is hoped that the Government will reengage the 78-member organisation on the implementation of the Programme of Action that emerged from the Durban Declaration in 2001.  

“The fact that the Government of Guyana has internationally signed on, not only to the first decade but it has endorsed and encouraged the second decade, that carries with it an obvious commitment by the Government to implement it. So, we would expect that given the very bold statements by all the ministers, at Geneva, that they would implement it. I think history, would perhaps, suggest that the Government’s commitment to the People of African Descent is less than laudable and certainly in relation to the decade, it has not implemented any programme. For a matter of fact, it has not identified or designed a programme at all to reach the requirements of the first decade,” Hughes told reporters. 

At the forum, IDPADA-G accused the Government of systemic racism, and contended that the Government openly practices discrimination against Afro-Guyanese. It was explained that Afro- Guyanese are not benefitting as much from the country’s oil resources and that there is discrimination in the allocation of Government contracts and certain basic government services.

The forum also heard of the Government’s decision, in 2022, to abruptly halt the disbursement of an annual subvention to the 78-member organization, crippling its ability to effectively execute its mandate. 

But Minister Walrond told the UN Permanent Forum that the allegations levelled against the Government are “false” and “baseless.” She said Afro-Guyanese organisations had complained of not benefiting from the resources issued to IDPADA-G, and so a decision was taken to disburse the funds directly to them and not through IDPADA-G.

But Chairman of IDPADA-G, Vincent Alexander, today, maintained that IDPADA-G’s budget was approved by Government annually, and it was not until a Cuffy 250 Forum, was advertised on the organisation’s social media platform, that Government launched a scathing attack IDPADA-G with the Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo accusing it of misappropriation and mismanagement. 

“IDPADA-G received a subvention from Government but we didn’t merely receive a subvention, we were required to submit a budget proposal, so that before receiving the subvention, the Government would have would have known what we proposed to spend the money on, and they disbursed based on that submission, and parliament’s appropriation. So, it is ironical, that a government which receives from IDPADA-G a budget proposal that clearly identifies payment for staff, programme, disburses over a number of years, and then subsequently comes to say that you are not spending the money in a manner that is appropriate,” Alexander reasoned. 

Alexander said in retrospect it is obvious that the Government had no real intention of supporting the mandate of IDPADA-G, and has now made clear that there is no need for a special programme or plan of action to tackle issues confronting Afro-Guyanese. 

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