Toward a New Model of Development Cooperation: the National Development Strategy Process in Guyana
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• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • THE CARTER CENTER • • • • • • • • • • • • • THE • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • CARTER CENTER • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Toward• • a New Model of • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Development• • Cooperation • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The National Development • • • • • • • • • • • • • Strategy Process in Guyana • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • The National Development Strategy Process in Guyana ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I must thank and congratulate the Carter Center staff who have helped make the Global Development Initiative a success. Mr. Jason Calder and Mr. Rayman Mohammed and his staff of the Georgetown field office have worked tirelessly. Dr. Roger Norton and Ms. Viodelda Villalaz provided valuable technical advice and organizational expertise. Ms. Laura Benson contributed to the success of the Advisory Group Meeting and, with the help of Ms. Pam Auchmutey and Ms. Laina Wilk, the production of this report. Finally, Dr. Uma Lele and her colleagues at the University of Florida deserve recognition for their excellent work in launching GDI. Ambassador Gordon Streeb, Ph.D. Director Global Development Initiative Global Development Initiative Staff Atlanta Director: Gordon Streeb Program Coordinator: Jason Calder Program Research Assistant: Laura Benson Guyana Office Director: Rayman Mohamed Administrative Assistant: Brian Lewis Program Administrative Assistant: Fadia Gafoor Consulting Team Roger Norton Viodelda Villalaz THE CARTER CENTER Toward a New Model of Development Cooperation: The National Development Strategy Process in Guyana A Report on the Global Development Initiative’s Advisory Group Meeting and Review of Lessons Learned in Guyana May 1997 Global Development Initiative The Carter Center One Copenhill 453 Freedom Parkway Atlanta, Georgia 30307 (404) 614-3722 (404) 420-5196 http://www.emory.edu/CARTER_CENTER The National Development Strategy Process in Guyana “We believe that this strategy will come to signify faith in the future and in our ability to work together in a multicultural society for the betterment of all. This marks the first time that Guyanese of all races, religions, and political persuasions have come together to draft the blueprint of our future. For the international community this strategy initiates a fruitful dialogue and marks the beginning of a new era in cooperation.” —Cheddi Jagan, president of Guyana “I do believe, therefore, that a basic condition for the success of this development strategy ... is getting a national consensus in Guyana, which is multicultural and multireligious, that is based on social cohesion.” — Hugh Desmond Hoyte, former president of Guyana 4 THE CARTER CENTER Table of Contents Forward by President Jimmy Carter .......................................................................................................................... 4 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................................. 6 Keynote Addresses..................................................................................................................................................... 8 The Honorable Jimmy Carter, Chair of the Board, The Carter Center His Excellency Cheddi Jagan, President of Guyana The Honorable Hugh Desmond Hoyte, Former President of Guyana Summary of Remarks by the Honorable Bharrat Jagdeo, Senior Minister of Finance for Guyana Summary of Remarks by Dr. Roger Norton, Team Leader and Economic Advisor to the Ministry of Finance Discussion ................................................................................................................................................................ 25 Update ..................................................................................................................................................................... 33 Lessons Learned and the Road Ahead .................................................................................................................... 34 Appendices .............................................................................................................................................................. 42 1. GDI Advisory Group Meeting: Background Paper 2. GDI Advisory Group Meeting: Agenda 3. GDI Advisory Group Meeting: Participants 4. National Development Strategy: Technical Working Groups 5. National Development Strategy: Terms of Reference for the Technical Working Groups 6. National Development Strategy: Guidelines for the Coordinators of the Technical Working Groups 7. National Development Strategy: Table of Contents 8. President Carter’s Post-meeting Memorandum to Participants 9. Selected Newspaper Articles from Guyana About The Carter Center ....................................................................................................................................... 81 5 The National Development Strategy Process in Guyana FORWARD by Jimmy Carter have long been an advocate for development create nonpartisan, broad-based support for the devel- assistance that focuses on helping countries help opment plan and to increase the likelihood of success- I themselves. Unfortunately, lack of coordination ful implementation. In addition, issues in each sector among donors, both in the projects they pursue and were explored in depth. While the overall sustain- the conditionalities they introduce, and the limited ability of the strategy was important, policies to ability of many developing countries effectively to promote sound resource use were a priority, as were absorb available resources have taken their toll on those that could promote growth with equity and international perceptions of development aid. The attract investment to the country. The goal, ulti- problem isn’t with aid itself, however, but with its mately, was to make it possible for the Government of delivery. If development assistance is to become more Guyana, with public support, to articulate its policies effective, it must respond to a nationally driven set of and recognize what steps need to be taken in the areas policies and priorities. Donors insist they can be of legislation, budgeting, and prioritization to regain effective only if the recipient country clearly articu- control of its own development path. lates its policies and adheres to them. It was this set of This report of the GDI Advisory Group Meeting, issues that The Carter Center’s Global Development which took place at The Carter Center on June 6, Initiative (GDI) sought to address. 1996, chronicles the thoughts and ideas put forth by Our work began in Guyana in 1990, when the the world’s leading development practitioners on the Center initiated discussions with Guyanese leaders effort in Guyana. It also includes a discussion of lessons about upcoming elections. As a result, in 1992, that learned about this alternative methodology that have country held its first internationally recognized free become increasingly clear since the National Develop- and fair elections in more than 28 years, monitored by ment Strategy was released in January 1997. Endeavor- the Center. Soon thereafter, I accepted President ing to change the way development is approached by Cheddi Jagan’s invitation to be his guest at the 1994 governments and donor agencies is no small task, yet meeting of the Caribbean Group for Cooperation in the participants in this exercise and at the meeting Economic Development (CGCED), where his govern- displayed commitment to a vision that is beginning to ment would present Guyana’s broad vision and devel- be realized. I thank all of those who joined us for the opment strategy statement to international donors. meeting and who continue to pursue new solutions. I This and subsequent meetings demonstrated also am thankful to many organizations and individuals Guyana’s active search for innovative approaches to who have worked on GDI since 1993: meet development goals and donors’ positive response