The Minister of Housing and Water of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, the Honourable Colin Croal, today, delivered an intervention during the one-day High-level Meeting on the Implementation of the New Urban Agenda at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York.

The meeting was convened by the President of the General Assembly, His Excellency, Abdulla Shahid, to assess progress made in the implementation of the New Urban Agenda and to facilitate ongoing exchanges among Member States, local and regional governments, and other constituencies of the New Urban Agenda, such as professional associations, grassroots organizations, and business leaders.

Minister Croal emphasized the importance of sustainable urbanization to Guyana’s long-term development. He informed that Guyana has embraced a studied approach to urbanization through the application of globally established principles of sustainable development, along with the implementation of Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030.

Further, Minister Croal informed the General Assembly that the Government of Guyana is working towards establishing a new city called Silica City, since the capital city— Georgetown, is located below sea level, and faces many vulnerabilities. Silica City, he underscored, will serve as a progressive model for other similar developments. Minister concluded by expressing Guyana’s commitment to the objectives of the New Urban Agenda and called for adequate financing for its full implementation.

April 28, 2022