Georgetown, Guyana — (October 25, 2018) Minister of State, Mr. Joseph Harmon, last evening, reiterated Guyana’s commitment to ‘green’ governing and development in his feature address at the Commonwealth Association for Public Administration and Management’s (CAPAM) Banquet and International Innovations Awards (IIA) Ceremony. The ceremony was held at the Marriott Hotel, Kingston.

“Guyana is totally committed to proper climate governance. As a low-lying coastal State, we have no choice… The pursuit of a ‘green’ agenda as the developmental platform for Guyana is rooted in our recognition of our responsibility to the international community with respect to the mitigation of climate change… We feel a sense of deep responsibility to the preservation and promotion of a healthy global environment. Our involvement in international fora that are concerned with the protection of the environment has, therefore, progressively increased over time,” he said.

The CAPAM IIA is a celebration of innovation within the public sector. CAPAM recognises organisations that have made significant contributions to improving governance and, in so doing, inspires public servants to become innovators, creating and implementing new ideas that enhance the quality of life of their citizens.

The State Minister praised the organisation for encouraging innovation throughout the Commonwealth. “This awards ceremony… provides a fitting end to the conference’s programme with the high note on innovation that emphasises a resolve to explore new frontiers and the pursuit of constant improvement in public administration and management within the Commonwealth family of nations… I wish to commend this International Innovations Awards Ceremony that seeks to promote the spirit of innovation in the public service,” he said.

The State Minister received a token of appreciation from the local CAPAM planning committee.

Chair of the IIA Assessment Panel, Ms. Margaret Saner said that the awards push implementation of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. “These awards remind us of why we are all here, why public administration matters and, particularly now, as we work on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, why effective public administration is so critical to meeting the challenges facing our societies,” she said.

The IIA features four award categories: Innovation Incubation, Citizen-focused Innovation, Innovation in Public Service Management, and Innovation DNA. Category finalists hailed from Singapore, India, and Mauritius. United Agriculture Markets, India, was named the Gold Medal Winner for the CAPAM 2018 International Innovations Awards.

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