DOHA, Qatar — Guyana’s Minister of Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, has urged nations to recommit to international cooperation and solidarity in pursuit of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Speaking at the United Nations Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha, Qatar, last week, Singh said Guyana remains firmly committed to the Copenhagen Declaration and its vision of people-centered development. The three-day summit, held from November 4–6, brought together world leaders, ministers, international organizations, and civil society groups to assess global progress on social development and poverty reduction.
Singh, who represented President Dr Irfaan Ali, said Guyana welcomes the opportunity to share its experiences in implementing the social development agenda, including both its successes and ongoing challenges. He pointed to the government’s investments in education, healthcare, and social services as evidence of its focus on improving citizens’ well-being, as well as its push to promote entrepreneurship, decent work, and women’s empowerment.
“Guyana’s policies continue to place people at the heart of development,” Singh said, emphasizing the need to integrate economic and social strategies to build inclusive and equitable societies.
The minister warned, however, that global progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals requires what he called “an unremitting commitment” to multilateralism. “The full realization of these objectives depends on international cooperation and solidarity,” he added.
Guyana’s Ambassador to Qatar, Safraaz Shadood, was also part of the delegation.