At a glance: Guyana

The big picture

Click for a detailed map (PDF)

This map does not reflect a position by UNICEF on the legal status of any country or territory or the delimitation of any frontiers.

Guyana, the only English-speaking country in South America, achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1966 and became a Republic in 1970. In 1989, Guyana undertook a dramatic reversal from a state-controlled, socialist economy towards a more open, free market system. Guyana is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere.

UNICEF priorities

There are three main areas of focus contained in UNICEF’s work: social policies and rights; education and life skills; and local systems for integrated child protection.

The objective of the social policies and rights component is to support the formulation of national policies and legislation and to reduce inequities. Emphasis is placed on data collection and analysis within government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

The education and life skills component focus on the process of development of the child, from early childhood through adolescence. It emphasizes integrated delivery of services and the process of transition from pre-primary to primary school, and from primary to secondary school. The “escuela nueva” model will be further integrated into school systems, using its functional approach to learning, which is geared to providing revised teaching methodologies.

Local systems for integrated child protection focuses on the delivery of basic social services at community and regional levels. It expands the integrated area-based programme, within which the Amazon Programme is framed, with a substantive boost to the development of regional and community capacity for project cycle management. 

Within this context, the following are considered the key results of UNICEF cooperation:

• Approval of the national strategic plan for combating HIV/AIDS, 2002-2006;
• New partnerships of government agencies, NGOs, technical institutions on youth and HIV/AIDS; 
• New laws for children's rights prepared and presently under review for adoption; 
• Quality improvements made in primary education in the hinterlands regions; and the Regional (sub-national) Committees for Children's Rights are functional.