| – Calls for implementation of Stakeholder Forum recommendations, end to restrictions on media Ethnic polarisation still runs deep in Guyana,Nike Air Max 95, independent expert on minority issues, Gay McDougall, has found, and to erase this image, she is recommending that decisions made by the National Stakeholders Forum be implemented and restrictions on the media lifted.“A new era of political will and strong, visionary leadership is required to realise change and reverse the economic and social stagnation evident in a divided Guyana,” she said in her report to the United Nations Human Rights Council.McDougall had visited Guyana from July 28 to August 1 last year.In a report she presented to the Council, she agreed with the observation of the UN Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, Doudou Dienne, who,China Jerseys NFL Wholesale, in 2003, found that every level of Guyanese society is permeated by a profound moral, emotional and political fatigue, arising out of the individual and collective impact of ethnic polarisation.In 2008, McDougall said she witnessed a continuing societal malaise that shows evidence of having deepened and transformed in some instances into despair,Authentic China Jerseys, anger and resistance.She added that reforms must be far-reaching and highly consultative. However, consultation and process must be time-bound and action-oriented, and must lead to concrete, achievable outputs that ensure non-discrimination and equality.She said that promises must be delivered, including the urgent creation of five credible human rights commissions, to deliver change to the lives of individuals, families and communities and put in place new foundations upon which to build.An open and constructive dialogue on inclusive governance remains an essential component of this process, McDougall added.While she said that the government should take the lead in initiating such a dialogue, she said political will must be demonstrated by all parties.McDougall also said restrictions on the media and freedom of expression should be lifted and legal definitions of the offences of “treason” should be evaluated as against international standards of freedom of expression.She said that the government should consider whether having the President also holding the portfolio of Minister of Communication has a chilling effect on freedom of expression in the current highly polarised context of Guyana.During her visit to Guyana, McDougall travelled to Georgetown and surrounding communities and held consultations with President Bharrat Jagdeo and some members of his government, the opposition, Non-Governmental Organisations, civil society groups, political parties, religious leaders,Cheap Jerseys Authentic, academics and others working in the field of minority issues and anti-discrimination.In her report, McDougall said ethnically divided political and administrative structures and failed political processes have created deep frustrations and distrust in the institution of government.The independent expert said that she recognised commendable steps on the part of the government to date to address issues of ethnic tensions,Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys, criminal activities and economic underdevelopment.However,Cheap China Jerseys, further effective action is required urgently to restore confidence in good governance and the rule of law among all communities, and prevent an inexorable slide into further polarization and possible violence, the expert said.She highlighted a bitter and destructive political environment that has infected the wider society and is failing the people of Guyana. This must give way to a climate of truth, reconciliation and compromise, she said.According to McDougall, the government and both political parties should take full responsibility to ensure that decisions taken to resolve conflicts are fully implemented.In February and March last year, the National Stakeholders Forum was convened and brought together all the parliamentary parties and a broad cross-section of civil society organisations.To date, this process and the positive consultation and dialogue that it established have not materialised into concrete, institutionalised forms of cooperation and conflict resolution.The independent expert has recommended that the decisions of the national stakeholder process be implemented as a matter of urgency, including the establishment of a new Parliamentary Standing Committee on National Security with Ministerial representation.She also called for the expeditious appointment of those constitutional commissions, which are key features of the governance framework and still have not been established.She said the partners must guarantee that those who are appointed as commissioners have credibility with all communities.The National Assembly recently moved to appoint one of those commissions – the Commission on the Rights of the Child – but there was vehement protest from the main opposition party and the Guyana Human Rights Association over the appointment of government spokesperson Kwame McCoy.Among the other recommendations were the convening and activation of the Parliamentary Constitutional Reform Committee to address issues presently before it and to examine further areas for constitutional reform; ensure the meaningful and effective participation of civil society in these parliamentary processes; explore an agreed mechanism for the continuation of the National Stakeholders’ Forum.According to McDougall, there is a lack of information on the impact of the anti-discrimination provisions of the Constitution and legislation and as a result the government should establish a programme to monitor the extent to which these provisions have been used as the basis for criminal or other legal proceedings and what the outcomes have been.She also suggested that there be a data-driven evaluation of the Office of the Ombudsman and the Ethnic Relations Commission.McDougall said that this should lead to a re-evaluation of whether additional, more effective mechanisms should be created to tackle aggressively ethnic discrimination. |
