The Guyanese Head of State pointed out that the Commonwealth has been one of the strongest voices in the international community about the rights of small states, “Not only in terms of environment but in terms of security and economic vulnerability. In fact this is the best forum that we could have hoped for to advance Guyana’s case as a small state, especially with regards to our security”.

Recently a United Nations team met with Government representatives for discussions on the Venezuelan claim and President Granger explained that the process is firmly in control of the United Nations Secretary General and he is satisfied with the progress being made, on this front.

Funding for Iwokrama

Another issue which has been tabled for discussion is that of Iwokrama. The local protected area and nature reserve, which President Granger noted was even larger than the island state of Malta, measuring 371,000 square kilometers, was gifted to the Commonwealth when it was first conceived by the late President Hugh Desmond Hoyte. It is the President’s hope that with discussionsalso set to take place on Iwokrama, the meeting will be able to move the agenda forward, “clearly in terms of the viability of Iwokrama”. He explained that nature preserve cannot sustain itself or “achieve the objectives which it set itself some twenty years ago without foreign funding”.

With the decline in funding from the international community over the years for Iwokrama's work, President Granger said that with the world economic meltdown and other factors, priorities may have shifted slightly. He added that Guyana would be pressing a case not only for international funding but also for Low Carbon Development Strategy and other aspects of climate change efforts in a wider context. He emphasised the use of the high level forum to persuade other member states to re-commit to the process.

New Secretary General

President David Granger accompanied by  Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge, seized the opportunity to hold key bilateral meetings on the margins of the conference, even as the body elected a new Secretary General,Baroness Patricia Scotland, a Dominican by birth. She  has held the position of Attorney General in Britain, and  replaces outgoing Secretary General, Kamalesh Sharma. 

 Though Guyana had thrown its support behind Antigua and Barbuda’s candidate, Guyana-born Sir Ronald Sanders, President Granger said, in an interview with the Guyanese press corps,that the new Secretary General was selected in a clean and clear process and Guyana and all Commonwealth countries must support the Baroness.  “I am assured that the Commonwealth’s decision is going to receive the support of the member states and this is the way forward.  We are looking to the future and we believe that the Commonwealth must rally around its Secretary General… and we are committed to working with the Secretary General for the improvement of the Commonwealth,” he said.

Following the opening ceremony of CHOGM 2015, at which Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II addressed the leaders, President Granger, along with the other Heads of Government, attended the first Executive and working sessions in addition to a special session on climate action.