An opposition motion calling for the establishment of a National Child Emergency Notification System, in wake of the death of 11-year-old Adriana Younge, was today blocked by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir.

Though allowing Opposition Member of Parliament, Jermaine Figueira to present the motion to the House as well as a response from Prime Minister Mark Phillips, the Speaker said he was satisfied with Government’s response, and for that reason, the motion would not be placed up for debate.

“After I have read the standard operating procedures that were first released by the Guyana Police Force on Saturday, even before I received his notice, I felt that the Government did move with urgency on this important issue of dealing with missing children, and alerts being made. I want to highly commend the Government for swift action in establishing these new Standard Operating Procedures,” the Speaker said before blocking the motion.

At the time of his ruling, the main opposition, A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), had already staged a walk-out in protest of the Speaker’s decision to allow the Prime Minister to address the motion, without allowing the debate.

Ahead of presenting the motion, MP Figueira led the House into a moment of silence in rememberance of Adriana Younge, and the two Lindeners – Ronaldo Peters and Keon Fudgenay – who were shot and killed by police earlier this month in Linden.

MP Figueira told the House that the death of little Adriana has resulted in a national outcry for urgent reforms to enhance child protection and public safety.

Citing other  jurisdictions, including the United States, Canada, and the European Union, the Opposition MP said child emergency alert systems, such as the AMBER Alert, are effectively used to facilitate the rapid recovery of missing children and have helped to save lives.

He submitted that a similar emergency alert system is needed in Guyana.

“The establishment of a national child alert system would not only improve law enforcement’s ability to respond promptly to child abductions but would also empower the general public to actively participate in safeguarding our children…The implementation of the National child alert system would stand as a lasting and meaningful tribute to the memory of Adrianna Younge, ensuring her life and untimely passing serve as catalysts for lasting national protection reforms,” he said

The Opposition MP explained that swift dissemination of critical information to the public through mobile devices, media outlets, and public networks has proven to dramatically improve child recovery rates and deter criminal activities against minors;

Through the motion, he said the Government should be called upon to establish a child emergency alert system within six months, proposing that it be named the “Adriana Alert System.”

“BE IT RESOLVED that this National Assembly calls on the Government of Guyana to immediately begin consultations with stakeholders, including the Guyana Police Force, telecommunications providers, civil society organizations, and child rights advocates, to design and implement a national child emergency notification system; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, within six months, the necessary legislation and regulations be drafted and tabled to establish the operational framework, responsibilities, and protocols to govern the national child alert system,” MP Figueira submitted to the house.

Prime Minister Phillips, in response, told the Assembly that the entire nation would like to know the truth behind the death of little Adriana, and the Government is doing its best to ensure that the family gets closure.

“While together we mourn as a country, we have already taken action as a government to facilitate the independent inquiry,” the Prime Minister said.

He noted that the Guyana Police Force has moved to strengthen and implement a Standard Operating Procedure for handling reports of missing children and persons.  Additionally, he said Government has taken a number of steps to improve and safeguard the lives of children.

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