Guyanese President Ali meets Commonwealth of Nations Secretary-General Patricia Scotland

President of Guyana, Dr Irfaan Ali, along with other high-rank officials from his cabinet, met with the – Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations, Patricia Scotland QC and a delegation on Monday, January 10, 2022. During the meet, both the parties discussed several significant matters. 

The meeting took place at – the Office of the President on Shiv Chanderpaul Drive. The Head of the State was also accompanied by the Guyanese Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d), Mark Phillips. 

Other Guyanese Cabinet officials who were present at the meet include, Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance – Dr Ashni Singh, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance – Gail Teixeira, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation – Hugh Todd, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill and Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond. 

Meanwhile, among the Commonwealth delegation led by the Secretary-General Scotland consists – the Director and Head of the SG’s Office – Deborah Jamieson, Senior Director, Governance and Peace Directorate – Professor Luis Franceschi, Assistant Research Officer of the SG’s Office – Francis Wanjiku and the Assistant Research Officer of the Governance and Peace Directorate – Fayola Fraser.  

About Patricia Scotland QC: 

Patricia Scotland QC is the sixth Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations, becoming the first female to hold the post and second Secretary-General from the Caribbean region.  

Born in Dominica, she later moved to the United Kingdom with her family. In 1991, Patricia became the first black woman to be appointed a Queen’s Counsel (QC). She is the founder of the Eliminate Domestic Violence Global Foundation, established in the year 2011. 

Additionally, in December last year, the Caribbean island penned down United Nations’ new multi-country Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (MSDCF) agreement. This deal aims to whisk the Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development progress.