Nine petitions filed against Govt. for human rights abuses - Minister Teixeira

Nine petitions filed against Govt. for human rights abuses – Minister Teixeira

Jan 11, 2024 News

Kaieteur News – The Government of Guyana (GOG) is currently addressing nine human rights petitions filed against it by local Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to international bodies, Minister of Governance Gail Teixeira has said.

Among these, eight petitions were submitted between 2020 and 2023, marking a significant increase compared to the period between 1999 and 2015 when only four cases were brought forward by NGOs to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the United Nations (UN).

Minister Teixeira disclosed this information during a press conference held on Wednesday at her office located in Queenstown, Georgetown. Minister Teixeira explained that the rise in petitions does not necessarily indicate an increase in human rights violations but signifies a positive trend. “I take this as a reflection of the confidence of those organisations to feel that they can have a complaints mechanism that they can report…,” she said.

Between 2015 and 2020, there were no petitions filed with the UN or its affiliated bodies, but from 2020 onwards, eight petitions have been submitted by various NGOs, including the Guyana Press Association (GPA), the Amerindian People’s Association (APA) and the International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly – Guyana (IDPADA-G). Minister Teixeira noted that, while eight petitions are recent, the government is also responding to one filed in 2012. “So I expect there will be more of that coming from various NGOs,” Teixeira said.

Minister of Governance and Parliamentary Affairs, Gail Teixeira

Moreover, Minister Teixeira emphasised the importance of factual accuracy when filing petitions with international bodies. She encouraged a fact-based approach, stating, “I would believe from a social conscious point of view that if one makes a complaint on your country, you should at least be factual.”

According to the minister, it was found that some of the petitions were not grounded in fact. “In many of the cases, we found the cases that have been brought they are not based on fact, they are on misrepresentation and we have to prove that that is so…” Teixeira highlighted. She added that it is the government’s responsibility to counter such claims with evidence, including video, audio recordings, and other substantiating materials.

“This is a country that is committed to implementing human rights and expanding our human rights framework; but also in terms of making sure we present our cases as best as we can. It does not mean that we will win but it does relate to the importance that we must respond and respond the best way we can with factual information,” Teixeira said.

In acknowledging the shift towards resorting to international bodies, Minister Teixeira emphasised individuals’ rights under ratified conventions to approach international or regional entities to file petitions. To this end, she underscored the significance of exhausting domestic remedies and local avenues before turning to international bodies. She said: “The constitutional bodies that are available in Guyana need to be used, they are there to be used in terms of looking for redress…I would hope that the NGO’s here would use more of the domestic remedy that are available.” Minister Teixeira urged the utilisation of constitutional bodies within Guyana, like the Human Rights and Ethnic Rights Commissions.