Thank you, Minister Robert Persaud, Minister of Agriculture of Guyana,
Your Excellency Bharrat Jagdeo, President of the Republic of Guyana,
Honourable Samuel Hinds, Prime Minister of the Republic of Guyana,
President of the Inter-American Development Bank, Mr. Luis Alberto Moreno,
Secretary General of the Caribbean Community, Mr. Edwin Carrington,
Director General of the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture, Dr Chelston Braithwaite,
Your Excellencies Ministers of Cabinet,
Honourable Members of Parliament,
Members of the Diplomatic Corps,
Representatives of regional and international organizations,
Representatives of the business community, civil society and the media,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am extremely pleased to join this august gathering for this ground-breaking High Level Seminar on Expanding Bio-energy Opportunities in the Caribbean, an initiative and an important example of inter-agency collaboration between CARICOM, IICA, IDB and the OAS, with the support of the Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA) and the Government of Guyana.

I wish to commend and thank the Government of Guyana for hosting this timely and important encounter. Guyana is, of course, a most suitable venue. Quite apart from its vast land resources, its long history of successful sugar cane cultivation and recognised bio-energy potential, Guyana is known for its pioneering involvement in science and agriculture, as well as its leadership in the development of agriculture in the Caribbean region.

While these multilateral efforts are important and critically needed, I believe that it is equally important that member states of the OAS and CARICOM seek to strengthen the collaborative efforts among themselves at a bilateral level. These efforts, which will require sincere and dedicated commitment at the highest political levels, will simply be needed to facilitate a better use of opportunities and also to resolve the challenges which countries face in developing a strategic policy and mechanisms. In my view, it is clear that no country can achieve these objectives on its own, even with an enormous resource potential.

The OAS is pleased to be part of the longer-term commitment that is promised through the signing following this opening session of a Memorandum of Understanding among IICA, the IDB, the OAS and the Government of Guyana, to establish a non-exclusive framework of collaboration to promote programmes and projects on renewable energy, energy efficiency and bio-energy in the Caribbean.

This commitment is a reflection of the reality that it is important to pool resources, to develop synergies and to work together to support the needs of the Caribbean in this emerging sector. I hope that, following what should be a successful Seminar, we can do something similar in Central America.

We, and in particular the Sustainable Energy Division of the Department of Sustainable Development, are delighted to be part of this inter-agency collaborative effort, which is most timely in light of the adoption of the Declaration of Panama on Energy for Sustainable Development at the 37th Regular Session of the OAS General Assembly in June 2007.

This inter-agency arrangement also relates to the proposal of the Private Sector Forum of the Americas during the recently held General Assembly of the OAS in Panama City, to establish a Bio-energy Initiative of the Americas, to serve as a “one-stop-shop” for bio-energy research, exchange of best practices, technical assistance and capacity building. And I believe that it will be of critical importance to engage the private sector – domestic and international – early on and in all stages of the development of the bio-energy sector.

The Declaration of Panama notably focused on the importance of energy security in the Hemisphere, as an essential component of sustainable development and poverty reduction, as well as the importance of cleaner and renewable energy in the context of climate change and a more balanced, efficient and sustainable energy matrix.

Of specific relevance to this Seminar would be the recognition by Ministers in Panama of the potential of bio-fuels for diversifying the energy mix of the Hemisphere and their commitment to “join efforts to share experiences gained in the region, with a view to achieving maximum efficiency in the sustainable use of those sources to promote social, technological, agricultural, and productive development”, and I believe that this is precisely what we are pursuing here.

Moreover, this Seminar is opportune as it also coincides with the finalisation of the CARICOM Regional Energy Policy, which is itself both timely and strategic: timely from the standpoint of the disturbing dynamics of the global energy market and projections that point to a continuing tightening of supply and an increasing demand for energy products especially from Asia; and strategic in the context of the imperative of reducing the region’s dependence on imported oil and its vulnerability to energy price shocks, and the need to soften their related effects on the region’s limited foreign exchange reserves and economic growth rates.

The OAS has already responded to the request for comments on the Draft CARICOM Policy. In particular, I would like to reiterate our recommendation for more definitive and innovative policies and strategies to spur the rapid development of renewable energy sources. We are in no doubt that renewable energy holds the key to the long-term resilience of the Caribbean region, and the development of the bio-energy sector is itself an integral part of this strategy.

As you are aware, there is a vibrant debate on the pros and cons of bio-energy. On the one hand, it is argued that bio-energy carries significant social, economic and environmental benefits, especially for developing countries blessed with land resources but not endowed with fossil fuels. On the other hand, there are arguments that bio-energy is not a sustainable economic solution to insulating developing countries from high oil prices and that bio-fuels threaten food security, with the accompanying risk of deforestation, environmental degradation and increased global warming.

There is truth in both views. However, oil-dependent countries, especially those with sizeable land resources, such our host country Guyana, simply cannot ignore the opportunities offered by bio-energy to achieve international competitiveness in the production of goods and services, and bring about economic growth and a better quality of life for their people.

But, as well positioned as they may be to take advantage of the growing global, bio-energy market Caribbean countries must not ignore the concerns that bio-energy might generate. Due consideration must accordingly be paid, at the earliest possible stages of planning, to sustainability issues and to potential negative social and environmental impacts, as well as to build expert negotiating capacity and strategies.

Ideally, the bio-energy options we develop for both Government and private sector representatives should have a beneficial or at least neutral impact on food security, food prices and social livelihoods. In this respect, I cannot stress too strongly the importance of adopting appropriate legislative frameworks to facilitate investment in and the development of the bio-energy sector, as well as to put in place environmental and socio-economic safeguards, while keeping in mind the cost required to train and maintain the necessary human resources, the investment in technology and education as well as the cost of migratory processes for society as a whole.

We are perhaps seeing the emergence of a New Sustainable Energy Order in our Hemisphere. In our view this new arrangement offers great promise for achieving a new development ethos in the Hemisphere – one with less poverty, greater prosperity, greater social equity and a cleaner environment for all.

In closing, the challenge these two days is, in my view, to distil from the presentations all of the essential elements that will enable the Caribbean region to develop in the shortest possible time, a sustainable bio-energy industry: one that does not create hazards to human health and the environment; one that complements the region’s food security efforts; one that addresses the need for accelerated human resource development; and one that is supported by sound research and development capabilities.

Let me reiterate our commitment towards all efforts to meet these opportunities, to address the identified challenges and to advance progress towards a sustainable energy future in the Caribbean and in our Hemisphere.

I thank you.