St. George’s, June 15, 2009 – The National Democratic Congress government has “bold’’ initiatives for developing Grenada and is looking for support at home and abroad to accomplish its plan, a senior minister said Monday.
Labour and Social Services Minister Glynis Roberts told regional and international delegates attending a seminar in St. George’s that the objectives of the NDC administration of Prime Minister Tillman Thomas include eliminating poverty throughout Grenada, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, and providing universal education for the nation.
“The goals of the Grenada Government, which has been in office for 11 months,’’ said Mrs. Roberts, “are similar to the Millennium Development Goals which, broadly speaking, are to end poverty and hunger, provide universal education, environmental sustainability, gender equality and combating child mortality and HIV and AIDS.’’
Mrs. Roberts made the comments at the opening of a three-day Regional Civil Society consultation and meeting sponsored by the Commonwealth Foundation. The co-sponsors are Grenada’s Inter-Agency Group of Development Organisations and the Agency for Rural Transformation, and the Barbados-based NGO Caribbean Policy Development Centre.
The theme of the Grenada meeting is “Partnerships for a More Equitable and Sustainable Future,’’ and it’s one in a series being held in various Commonwealth countries.
The series will culminate with a “Commonwealth People’s Forum’’ to be held in Trinidad in November. It takes place one week before Trinidad hosts the 2009 Commonwealth Heads of Government (HOG) summit, which will be attended by Prime Minister Thomas. It will be the Grenadian leader’s first HOG conference since assuming office as Prime Minister.
Hon. Roberts, the Member of Parliament for St. George South, said governments, private sector organisations, NGOs, civil society groups and international institutions must partner “for the betterment of our communities and nations, and in order to guarantee a sustainable future for our children and our children’s children.’’
She outlined some of the achievements of the new Grenada government, including the free school books’ programme, referred to a long-term plan to ensure that every household has at least one university graduate, and said that several ministries of government are “diligently engaged in working on gender equality and in combating HIV and AIDS and child mortality.’’
“In terms of environmental sustainability, government has given its complete support to an effort to transform our historic Town of St. George, which is celebrating its 200th anniversary next year, into a Green City,’’ said Mrs. Roberts, who was speaking in her capacity as Acting Tourism Minister.
Hon. Peter David, Minister of Tourism and Foreign Affairs, and parliamentary representative for the Town of St. George, is accompanying Prime Minister Thomas on a visit to China.
“In my parliamentary constituency,’’ Mrs. Roberts added, “I have been involved in a campaign to save and resuscitate the Woburn Mangrove, which is an important resource for fish life not only for Grenada but also for other Caribbean countries. I’ll be pleased to take our overseas guests on a tour of the mangrove before you leave our beautiful Island State.’’
The female Minister admitted that the government has a “bold, ambitious and packed agenda.’’ To accomplish it, she said, help would be needed.
“We’ll need the help and support of our local private sector, civil society and Non-Governmental Organisations,’’ Mrs. Roberts conceded. “But also very importantly, we are looking to partners overseas – including governments, foundations, charities and institutions like the Commonwealth – to back us, whether it’s through personnel and financial support, debt relief or some other forms of assistance.’’
