Dr English appointed convenor of civil society organisations for EITI process

Dr Ivor B. English, a member of the Guyana Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (GCSDA), has been appointed as the Convenor of Civil Society Organisations for Guyana’s participation in the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) process.

The Ministry of Natural Resources in a release said the appointment follows an open and transparent review process conducted by the Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, who also serves as Guyana’s EITI champion.

In Guyana, the champion is responsible for appointing a convenor for each constituency group on the Multi-Stakeholder Group (MSG).

The GCSDA represents one of Guyana’s most structured civil-society organisations, comprising over 68,000 active members and adherents across 31 pastoral districts.

As a member of this non-partisan, faith-based organisation with no political or industrial affiliation, Dr English is uniquely positioned to serve as civil society convenor, the release said.

In his new role, Dr English will guide an open, independent, participatory, and representative caucusing process, in keeping with the EITI Standard, for the upcoming reconstitution of the Civil Society Component within the GYEITI MSG. He will serve as convenor for two MSG terms, spanning six years.

The MSG is the principal body responsible for overseeing the implementation of the EITI Standard in Guyana. It is composed of 24 members, with equal representation from three sectors: government, extractive companies, and civil society. Each sector has four primary members and four alternate members, ensuring balanced participation and shared decision-making across all stakeholder groups.