President Irfaan Ali yesterday alerted the United Nations (UN) General Assembly (UNGA) to threats by Venezuela over Guyana’s auctioning of offshore oil blocks and called on Caracas to adhere to its obligations under the UN Charter.
Following the September 12 auction of oil blocks, Caracas has ratcheted up tensions with Georgetown by claiming incorrectly that Guyana does not have sovereign rights over the area and issuing threats to the bidders.
Ali yesterday used his address to the 78th Session of UNGA in New York to skewer Venezuela’s claims and pointed out that the longstanding border controversy between the two countries is before the International Court of Justice in the Hague.
The President told the UN General Assembly that Guyana considers Venezuela’s stance to be a threat to regional and international peace and security, as well as to this country’s investment partners.
“We demand that Venezuela honours its obligation under the Charter to pursue only peaceful means to settle any disputes it may have with Guyana, including adjudication before the International Court of Justice”, he said.
The Head of State maintained that the court must be given the opportunity to bring this controversy to an amicable resolution that will promote peace, equity and moreso fall in accordance with international law.
“Guyana will spare no effort in defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity”, he declared.
“When I addressed the Organization of American States last Friday, I recalled to that hemispheric body how Guyana was excluded from the OAS for 25 years from its birth as a nation, on account of a spurious territorial claim to two-thirds of our homeland, by Venezuela.
“But justice prevailed, and Guyana was ultimately admitted. It is sad, however, that fifty-seven years after Guyana’s Independence we remain threatened.
“Venezuela’s efforts to undermine our freedom, sovereignty and territorial integrity is today before the International Court of Justice, as decided by the UN Secretary General under the Geneva Agreement of 1966. The ICJ’s jurisdiction in the matter has been twice affirmed by the Court. We are confident that Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity will also be affirmed when the Court issues its final judgment”, Ali said.
He opined that international law is being undermined by threats and naked acts of aggression against sovereign states and by the perpetuation of old conflicts and disputes between states.
Ukraine
Declaring that the Russian invasion of Ukraine must end, he said that greater diplomatic efforts must be made to bring an end to the war. There was no outright condemnation of Russia.
While stating that Guyana unequivocally supports the principle of sovereignty and territorial integrity as enshrined in the UN Charter and remains in full solidarity with the people of Ukraine and what they justly require from the international community, the President cited the disparity in support given to Kyiv compared to the Palestinian people and Haiti.
“We have noted that since the war began in Ukraine more than a year ago the developed world provided approximately 220 billion dollars in support to Ukraine. The World Bank added more than $37.5 billion dollars in emergency financing – almost 260 billion dollars mobilized in less than two years.
“On the other hand, aid to the Pales-tinian people over a period of 26 years – 1994-2020 – amounted to just over 40 billion dollars according to figures compiled by the OECD. Haiti received just over 20 billion dollars in aid for reconstruction and development over the past 60 years. African countries were recipients of just over 113 billion dollars for 2015 and 2016 to fight hunger, according to the OECD”, Ali stated.
He said this must be corrected.
“Clearly this is a demonstration of an unjust eco-system surrounding and supporting development finance, peace and security. Importantly, it also proves that if truly committed, mechanisms do exist to unlock financing at scale”, he said.
He also alluded to the current political and economic turmoil in the sister Caricom country of Haiti.
“The ongoing crisis is Haiti is of grave concern. Urgent and decisive action must be taken to secure a comprehensive solution. I commend the offer by the Governments of Kenya and Rwanda to lead the Multinational Force (MNF) in Haiti, as well as the offers by The Bahamas and Jamaica”, he said.
He added “Guyana is committed to working closely with partners within the UN and CARICOM frameworks to find a long-lasting, stable, and sustainable solution to the Haitian crisis, so that our Haitian brothers and sisters can live in peace and dignity”.
Without naming the United States, Ali said that Cuba has been the object of aggression for more than six decades and renewed calls for the dismantling of the “unacceptable” embargo against the Caribbean state.
Ali posited that the economic and political aggression along with the designation of Cuba as a state sponsor of terrorism must also come to an end.
