The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo will this week lead a delegation, including Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Karen Cummings, to the United Nations Headquarters in New York for the official handover ceremony for the Chairmanship of the Group of 77 (G77), which Guyana is assuming.
The ceremony, which is scheduled to be held on Wednesday, will see the Prime Minister deliver remarks and along with Cummings hold bilateral meetings with a number of Member States and other countries.
Guyana will accept the Chairmanship from Palestine.
With the dissolution of the National Assembly on December 30th, 2019 to facilitate the holding of general and regional elections on March 2nd, it could be seen as unusual for ministers of government to embark on overseas travel or engage in diplomatic negotiations of any kind.
A person with knowledge of diplomatic protocol told Stabroek News that in the short period between the dissolution of the Assembly and the holding of elections “government is a caretaker who makes no commitments of any kind that will bind a new administration.”
It was noted that even with the expectation of either the President or Foreign Minister accepting the Chairmanship, it is very unusual for a Prime Minister who is not head of state to embark on such an endeavour.
Asked to explain the decision to have Nagamootoo lead the delegation, Minister Cummings said that it was a Cabinet decision.
“It is a Foreign Affairs venture but considering the age of the Palestinian leader [Mahmoud Abbas], a request was made for a senior person to be part of the delegation. The president should have gone but Cabinet has given the go ahead for the Prime Minister to travel in his stead,” Cummings said.
Asked about the possible breach of diplomat protocol occasioned by Nagamootoo’s presence, Cummings noted that her advisors at the ministry have not raised any such concern.
According to a ministry’s statement that was issued on Saturday, during its Chairmanship this year, which coincides with the United Nations 75th anniversary and its national Republic jubilee, Guyana has committed to strengthening multilateralism for the benefit of all developing countries. “In accordance with the G77 agenda, negotiations and deliberations will be conducted on various issues, including global sustainable development, climate change, and efforts to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the organisation,” it explained.
The Chairmanship, which became Guyana’s on January 1st, 2020, has so far been clouded in controversy.
134 Member States of the G77 Group, a United Nations coalition of developing nations, elected Guyana by acclamation without preconditions at a November 22nd plenary.
The ministry has said the country’s election follows a decision of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) earlier in 2019 to ensure that a regional candidate assume the chairmanship in 2020 of the largest negotiating group of developing countries in the United Nations.
“Consequently, for its accession, Guyana received the unequivocal support of CARICOM and the majority of countries in the Group, including from Africa, Asia Pacific and Latin America,” the statement added.
But sources told this newspaper that Venezuela objected to Guyana getting the position unless all public lobbying for support in the border controversy matter between the two countries was halted. The source explained that it would mean that for a number of matters, Venezuela is likely to get its allies in China and a number of Latin American countries to side with Caracas and shun proposals put forward by this county. “It questions the price for Venezuela’s support over national interest,” one source said.
This newspaper understands that Ambassador Rudolph Michael Ten-Pow expressed interest in this country’s Chairing the G77.
