Gail Teixeira, M.P., Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance and Government Chief Whip, was honoured and bestowed with the prestigious Commonwealth Parliamentarian Lifetime Achievement Award at the 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) on November 7, 2024, in Sydney, Australia.
The Award was presented during the Conference’s Award Ceremony, where Manzoor Nadir, M.P., Speaker of the National Assembly of Guyana, supported by Savitri Parag, M.P., Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Mr. Ganesh Mahipaul, M.P., and Mr. Sherlock Isaacs, A.A., Clerk of the National Assembly, accepted on behalf of Teixeira.
The Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Awards celebrate active and inspiring Parliamentarians excelling in their fields. To receive the Parliamentarian Lifetime Achievement Award, the following criteria must be fulfilled:
The nominee must have been a parliamentarian for over 20 years, and over that time must have:
- demonstrated an impressive record of achievement as a parliamentarian in their contribution to their Parliament and to their country;
- promoted democracy and good governance within their jurisdiction; and
- achieved notable and sustainable positive change over the course of their career.
Teixeira was nominated for this prestigious award by the Parliament of Guyana in September 2024. Following her nomination, she was selected as this year’s recipient after meeting all outlined criteria of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA).
Minister Teixeira’s distinguished parliamentary service spans more than three decades, marked by her commitment to principled leadership, her leadership in the areas of Governance, accountability and consultation. The Minister’s dedication to serving her constituents and the public has been exemplar, and she has earned the respect and trust of her colleagues while demonstrating an unwavering dedication to country, duty, skilfully leading her teams, and fostering collaboration among parliamentary members.
Although she humbly avoids praise, Minister Teixeira’s record of leadership is inspiring. She has served in four ministerial roles since 1992:
– Minister of Health (1992-1997)
– Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports (1998-2005)
– Minister of Home Affairs (2005-2006)
– Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance (2020-present)
In addition to her roles as Minister, Ms. Teixeira served as the Presidential Advisor on Governance (2006-2015), where she established and led the Governance Unit within the Office of the President. Her current portfolio builds upon this foundation, and she continues to demonstrate a deep commitment to governance and public service.
Minister Teixeira’s leadership within Parliament has been exemplary. She has served as both Government Chief Whip and Opposition Chief Whip, holding these key roles during critical periods from 2012 to 2015, 2015 to 2019, and from 2020 to present. As a longstanding member of the Parliamentary Management Committee, Minister Teixeira has provided valuable guidance, helping to foster consensus on complex issues, and encouraging a spirit of cordiality in the House. Her influence extends regionally and internationally, where she continues to mentor Parliamentarians.
She sat on numerous Standing and Special Committees, dealing with issues ranging from constitutional reform to abortion; anti-money laundering and the countering of financing of terrorism; local government reform, and domestic violence. She chaired the Parliamentary Constitutional Reform Human Rights Task Force, which prepared the new human rights section of the revised 1980 Constitution. Ms. Teixeira chaired the oversight Sectoral Committee on Economic Services and is Chair of the Parliamentary Commission on Appointments, and, member of the Public Accounts Committee, Parliamentary Management Committee and several others.
She piloted Guyana’s two reports (2010 and 2015) to the Universal Periodic Review (URP) process, and Guyana’s reports on the Rights of the Child Convention; the Convention on Discrimination against Women; the Convention for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination; and the Convention against Torture.
Additionally, in her role as a Geographic Member of Parliament, Minister Teixeira represents Administrative Region 7, one of Guyana’s largest Regions, providing leadership and assistance to its communities.
The Minister’s career is characterised by a commitment to people engagement. In the struggle for free and fair elections, she coordinated the efforts among political parties and civic and religious organisations. Minister Teixeira’s accessibility and open-door policy affords citizens a listening ear and aids in her advocacy for the poor and vulnerable, youth, women and children, elderly, disabled, and Indigenous peoples.
Ms. Teixeira has been the lead at stakeholders’ fora, nationally, regionally, and internationally. She was the Coordinator of the National Stakeholders Forum (involving over one hundred civil society organizations) from 2008- 2015; and the Government’s representative on the National Working Group on Public/Private Partnership on the Millennium Development Goals (2008-2014).
Coupled with her duty to the people of Guyana, Minister Teixeira has been invited to and delivered presentations at CPA post-election training programmes between 2020 to present. She was a member of the CPA Election Observer Mission during the United Kingdom (UK) Elections in 2016.
This accolade underscores the Hon. Gail Teixeira’s lifelong dedication to public service, her exemplary parliamentary career, her country, her contributions to the Commonwealth community and she continues to serve with distinction.
