Guyana government has sought the immediate removal of Bulkan from the World Bank's TAP
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The Guyana government has expressed its concerns to the World Bank Forest Carbon Partnership Facility about a Suriname map that includes part of Guyanas sovereign territory and has deemed it an “ unprovoked insult.” The map was part of a presentation at a forum of the World Bank [probably the Participants Committee of the World Bank’s Forest Carbon Partnership Facility, 26-28 October 2010, agenda item PC4].
According to sources, Guyana has since communicated its disappointment to the manager of the Carbon Finance Unit of the forest carbon partnership facility, especially since the map was presented at a World Bank forum.
Officials of the Guyana government who were present at the forum reportedly objected to the document and requested that it not be used in the future. Further, this newspaper has learned that the presentation using the map was part of that countrys Readiness Planning Preparation ( RPP) activities and Guyanese businesswoman Janette Bulkan was the reviewer of Surinames RPP. Bulkan has been selected as an expert to the Technical Advisory Panel ( TAP) for the World Banks carbon partnership facility. [Janette Bulkan was one of six people on the TAP]
As such, the Guyana government has sought the immediate removal of Bulkan from the TAP since she did not see it necessary to raise the threat to Guyana’s sovereignty as an issue during her review of Surinames RPP although she is a Guyanese by birth. [there is a small map embedded in the Suriname draft REDD Readiness Preparation Plan but the disputed New River triangle is not identified as such. Janette Bulkan was not present at the FCPF meetings in October 2009]
In addition, the Guyana government has expressed disappointment with the appointment of Bulkan as a TAP expert since the government is claiming that she has poor understanding of sustainable forest management principles and has participated in slanderous statements accusing the government and president of incompetency and shady activities.
In this regard, the government believes that Bulkan will not be an objective evaluator. According to sources, the government has expressed its concern that the World Bank would recruit Bulkan despite of her lack of understanding of key forest management principles. In this regard, the government is also requesting that the bank review the criteria for selection of such experts while seeking the immediate removal of Bulkan from the TAP. The World Bank Forest Carbon Partnership Facilitys last meeting took place in October 2009 in Washington DC, Unites States, at which Guyana updated participants on advances with the Low Carbon Development strategy ( LCDS) and its Readiness Planning Preparation ( RPP) which includes development of a modern and internationally recognised Monitoring Reporting and Verification System ( MRVs).
ENDS
[for background, see items]
Bulkan denies being at meeting when it was presented… Controversial Suriname map
Janette Bulkan challenges Govt. to quote the ‘defamatory and slanderous correspondences’
Not present at October meeting where Suriname map including Guyana’s territory was displayed
Guyana - Stabroek News Letter to the Editor, Tuesday 12 January 2010 - "Log exports have declined"
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