President David Granger on Saturday expressed appreciation for the work of the United Nations (UN) and its agencies in forging international and national solutions to problems even as he highlighted Guyana’s ongoing border troubles with Venezuela and urged UN protection.
At a dinner at the Georgetown Club to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of the coming into force of the UN Charter, the President said that the Charter is an irreplaceable regime for regulating relations among states. He said that the day is a special one not only for the UN, but also for all the nations of the world and for humanity.
“Guyana is pleased to be part of the worldwide celebrations taking place to commemorate this special event. It is good that we should do so,” he said.
“The United Nations, at this very moment, is preventing conflict somewhere; its mediators are bringing adversaries to talk to each other; it is defending people’s human rights; it is feeding the hungry; it is sheltering the homeless; it is vaccinating children against disease and its relief workers are delivering life-saving assistance to hundreds of thousands,” the President said.
He highlighted Guyana’s border troubles with Venezuela and Suriname. “The Cooperative Republic of Guyana, a small state, has seen foreign investors intimidated; it has seen foreign petroleum exploration terminated by gunboats from the East and from the West; and, even now, it is enduring the painful and illegal occupation of its territory,” he said.
“Guyana seeks the peace that only this international organisation could promise. It seeks the collective security measures that only the United Nations could provide,” he said while adding that Guyana iterates its complete commitment to the aims and the purposes of the United Nations Charter.
“The Charter, the birth of which we celebrate today (Saturday), is meant to provide the peace and security that the world needs. It is meant to provide the peace and security that Guyana needs if its citizens are to have a safe and good life,” he declared.
He said that Guyana applauds the vision of the founders of the United Nations and, particularly, their recognition that peace is linked with the respect for human rights and the promotion of the “economic and social advancement of all peoples.” He also hailed the UN promulgation of three significant legal instruments, which have expanded the scope of rights, namely; the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
“These legal instruments have advanced the cause of human rights around the world,” Granger said. He added that Guyana is supportive of the levels of international cooperation and collaboration achieved by the United Nations and its agencies in the promotion of sustainable development. The president expressed appreciation for the tireless work of the UN and its agencies in forging international and national solutions to problems such as climate change.
“Guyana salutes the efforts made by the United Nations over the past seven decades. The world would have been a less safe place, were it not for the efforts of the United Nations and its organisations, in advancing peace, security, economic and social progress and freedom across the planet,” he said.
The UN Guyana Office on Saturday also awarded several local journalists for their work in several areas. Stabroek News journalists walked away with several awards.
Senior journalist Gaulbert Sutherland took the top award for his coverage of human rights and was also the overall winner of the competition, which spanned 11 categories.
Journalist Roger Wong topped the print category for coverage of food and nutrition security while Thandeka Percival won for online coverage of food and nutrition security. Sharda Bacchus won the category for child protection and Zoisa Fraser was awarded an honourable mention in the poverty and governance category. Stabroek News was also awarded the prize for most print entries.
