Karen Cummings | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Foreign Minister | |
| In office 2 May 2019 –2 August 2020 | |
| President | David A. Granger |
| Preceded by | Carl Barrington Greenidge |
| Succeeded by | Hugh Todd |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Karen Roslyn Vanessa Cummings [1] Berbice,Guyana |
| Alma mater | University of Guyana St George's University Walden University |
Karen Roslyn Vanessa Cummings is a Guyanese politician who was the country's Foreign Minister from May 2019 to August 2020.
Cummings is from Berbice and graduated from Bishops' High School. [2] She has a Bachelor of Science in physics and a MBBS from the University of Guyana as well as a Masters of Public Health from St. George's University,Grenada. [2] As of 2016,she was undertaking a Doctorate in Public Health from Walden University in the United States. [2]
Cummings was a medical registrar at the Georgetown Public Hospital as well as a Government Medical Officer and Regional Medical Superintendent. [2]
Cummings became a Member of Parliament in 2014,and advocated for gender equality and healthcare reform. [2] She was sworn in as a junior minister,Minister within the Ministry of Public Health in the Cabinet of the APNU + AFC Cabinet on 20 May 2015. [3]
Cummings was appointed Foreign Minister by President David A. Granger on 2 May 2019,replacing Carl Barrington Greenidge who was one of four government ministers forced to resign after the High Court's decision that holding dual citizenship was unconstitutional for the role. [4] [5] Cummings admitted to reporters that she was surprised at being chosen for the role but that she was "prepared for the task." [6]
During the March 2020 presidential election,it was reported that Cummings had met with international observers and warned that their credentials might be withdrawn because the government was unhappy with statements they had made, [7] and received criticism from former Barbados Prime Minister Owen Arthur among others for threatening them in their role as observers. [8] [9] The government subsequently issued a statement saying "We regret any misunderstanding the comments of the Foreign Affairs Minister may have caused." [10]
After independence in 1966,Guyana sought an influential role in international affairs,particularly among Third World and non-aligned nations. It served twice on the UN Security Council. Former Vice President,Deputy Prime Minister,and Attorney General Mohamed Shahabuddeen served a 9-year term on the International Court of Justice (1987–96). In June 2023,Guyana was elected as a non-permanent member to the UN Security Council. The country will serve on the Council for a period of two years,beginning in January of 2024.
Dale Arlington Bisnauth was a Guyanese politician,writer and member of the clergy. He was the Minister of Labour,Human Services,and Social Security in the Government of Guyana. Bisnauth served previously as the Guyanese Minister of Education.
Barbados–Guyana relations refers to the current and historical relationship between Barbados and Guyana. The former maintains non-resident diplomatic representation from Bridgetown,while Guyana which prior had a High Commissioner to Barbados appointed its first resident Consul-General,Michael Brotherson to Bridgetown in January 2012.
The Minister of Agriculture is a member of the executive branch of government in the country of Guyana. He or she is based at the Ministry of Agriculture,in Regent Street,Georgetown. The current minister is Zulfikar Mustapha,who was appointed to the position in 2020.
Sophia is a ward of Georgetown,the capital of Guyana. It's a predominantly Afro-Guyanese community,and one of Georgetown's poorest neighborhoods.
Manzoor Nadir is a Guyanese politician and Speaker of the National Assembly. Nadir was the Guyanese Minister of Labour and party leader of The United Force between 2001 and 2011.
Texila American University (TAU) is an offshore private medical school,owned by the Texila American University Ltd –Hong Kong (TAU-HK). TAU-HK is a project of the ALLTERE Education Management Company. Texila's U.S. offices are in New Jersey. The University is located in Guyana,South America and offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in medicine,nursing,public health and allied sciences.
Guyana –Suriname relations are the bilateral relations between Guyana and Suriname. Suriname has an embassy in Georgetown. Guyana has an embassy in Paramaribo. The Courentyne River makes up most of the border between the two countries.
Deborah Backer was a Guyanese politician of the People's National Congress who served as the deputy speaker of the National Assembly of Guyana.
Carl Barrington Greenidge is a Guyanese politician from People's National Congress. From May 2015 to April 2019,he served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and one of the vice presidents in the cabinet of David A. Granger.
Snap general elections were held in Guyana on 2 March 2020. They were called early after the government of President David A. Granger lost a vote of no confidence by a margin of 33–32 on 21 December 2018,the government having held a one-seat majority since the 2015 elections. However,one of its own MPs,Charrandas Persaud of the Alliance for Change (AFC),voted with the opposition. Granger announced on 25 September 2019 that the elections would be held on 2 March 2020.
Mohamed Irfaan Ali is a Guyanese politician who is currently serving as the tenth president of Guyana since 2020. He is the first Muslim to hold the office,along with being the second Muslim head of state in the Americas after Noor Hassanali of Trinidad and Tobago.
The COVID-19 pandemic in Guyana was a part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus was confirmed to have reached Guyana on 11 March 2020. The first case was a woman who travelled from New York,a 52-year-old woman with underlying health conditions,including diabetes and hypertension. The woman died at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
Events in the year 2020 in Guyana.
Hugh Hilton Todd is a Guyanese politician who serves as Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Guyana since 2020.
Brindley Robeson Benn is a Guyanese politician. He was born in Georgetown,Guyana and is the current minister of home affairs for the government of Guyana. Benn was appointed minister in August 2020 by President Irfaan Ali.
Juan Anthony Edghill is a Guyanese pastor and politician. He is the founder and presiding bishop of Zadok Ministers Fellowship. Edghill is also the current Guyanese Minister of Public Works in Guyana.
Dawn Hastings-Williams is a Guyanese politician. She has been a member of the National Assembly since 2011. She has previously served as Minister within the Ministry of Communities (2015-2017),Minister of Public Affairs (2017-2019),and Minister of State (2019-2020).
Yvonne Fredericks-Pearson is a Guyanese politician. She has been a member of the National Assembly since 2015. She served as Toshao of Mainstay/Whyaka from 1994 to 2012.
