Britain hails GOAL scholarships, human rights, business

Last Updated on Monday, 16 June 2025, 22:27 by Writer

British High Commissioner to Guyana, Jane Miller has singled out British educational opportunities through the Guyana Online Learning Academy (GOAL) as an important achievement between the two countries.

“In education, numerous prestigious UK (United Kingdom) institutions are partnering with the GOAL Scholarship,” she told a recently-held King’s Birthday Party. Those institutions, she said, include the Robert Gordon University, Liverpool’s John Moores University, and University of East London.

Ms Miller also said that UK qualifications from institutions such as the Federation of Tourism and Hospitality were being “rolled out here”. “All of these are building a skilled workforce in a range of sectors from energy, law, public health, education and tourism,” she said.

Earlier this year, the GOAL programme had been mired in controversy after several students had become perturbed on having been informed that there was no relationship between one of the GOAL-listed institutions, University of Staffordshire, and the intermediate UK entity International Skill Development Corporation (ISDC).

Noting that human rights remains a “central pillar” of Guyana-UK relationship, Ms Miller said that commitment had been deepened by supporting grassroots organisations. Through funding from the Magna Carta Fund for Human Rights and Democracy (MCFHRD), the British High Commissioner said her mission partnered with the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) in hosting a capacity building workshop earlier this year, “equipping activists from across the country with tools to strengthen their impact.” She said the UK also championed inclusion through gender equality – including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender – and disability rights.

The GHRA is often criticised by the Guyana government.

The British envoy also highlighted that UK companies were working in areas of climate change, forestry conservation, digitalised health records, infrastructure at the new paediatric and maternal hospital at Ogle, East Coast Demerara and fire safety. Expanding on infrastructure, she stressed the importance of the Linden-Mabura road whose construction is being financed by the UK-Caribbean Infrastructure Fund. “That road is not just a connectivity between the hinterland and the coast. It will become a major trade corridor between the coast and Brazil bringing jobs and development opportunities along that corridor,” she said.

In the area of trade, Ms Miller said the last four months of 2024 saw 1.6 billion pounds sterling, reflecting an 18.8 percent increase. “Guyana remains the UK’s leading trading partner in the Caribbean accounting for 24 percent of all of UK’s trade in the Caribbean,” she said. There is a British Chamber of Commerce-Guyana (BritCham).

The British High Commissioner also reiterated her country’s recognition of Guyana’s existing borders. “The UK’s position is clear. The 1899 Arbitral Award settled the border between Guyana and Venezuela,” she said to applause, adding that, “I wish to take this opportunity once again [state] the UK’s steadfast support for Guyana’s sovereignty and for preservation of regional peace,” she said.

Looking ahead to the future of UK-Guyana relations, Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall said his country envisaged future opportunities in areas such as renewable energy, digital technology and climate adaptation. “The 21st century requires innovative partnerships and we believe that Guyana and the United Kingdom can demonstrate mutual benefits that nations with different resources and capabilities can achieve through effective collaboration,” he said.