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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Kay Torrance
In Atlanta, 1-404-420-5129

GEORGETOWN, GUYANA…The Carter Center will be closing its project office in Guyana at the end of May 2004, having completed its most recent project in the country. Since 2000, the Center has been implementing the More Responsive and Participatory Governance and Rule of Law in Guyana project financed by the United States Agency for International Development, in partnership with the National Democratic Institute and the International Foundation for Election Systems. As part of this project, the Center has worked to improve the influence of civil society on public policy and to strengthen the administration of justice in Guyana.

The Carter Center anticipates the many positive steps taken by civil society and the justice sector through this project will be actively followed-up by Guyanese stakeholders, many of whom were closely involved in the project. Recently representatives from more than 100 nongovernmental organizations from across Guyana marked the project completion in a dynamic national gathering, at which the growing capacity and influence of civil society was clearly demonstrated. The Center is confident the momentum of that event will be carried forward by the participating organizations, as well as other interested parties. Conference materials, participant profiles, and final report can be accessed on the Internet ().

In addition, the Center looks forward to the continued success of the Mediation Centre of Guyana, a joint initiative with the Supreme Court of Guyana and one of the most significant accomplishments of the project. The Center also will watch key justice sector stakeholders move forward to conclude the work of the Criminal Law Review Committee, as well as the Rules Committee that is revising the civil case rules to enhance efficiency in the judicial system.

The Carter Center has been actively engaged in Guyana since 1990. The Center observed Guyana's historic 1992 elections, as well as the 2001 elections, both of which were found to meet international standards. The Center also has supported efforts to implement Guyana's National Development Strategy (NDS), and has worked to promote constructive dialogue among key stakeholders in Guyana. In 1995, more than 200 Guyanese experts from the business community, labor unions, nongovernmental organizations, and national research centers developed a draft of the NDS and produced a final version in 2000. The Carter Center will continue to closely observe events in Guyana and to support democratic development in the country.