Guyana yesterday took up its seat as an elected member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for a two-year term: 2024-2025.
Yesterday, Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations, Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, installed the Guyana flag alongside those of other Security Council members outside the Council chambers. Also participating in the ceremony were the other newly elected members, Algeria, Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone and Slovenia, a statement from the Permanent Mission of Guyana to the United Nations said.
In a brief statement, Rodrigues-Birkett said that the task of maintaining international peace and security is growing increasingly complex with multidimensional challenges and, that the Council is, therefore, required to be proactive in addressing potential sources of conflict, and comprehensive in its response to existing conflict situations. She said that Guyana will seek a people-centred approach, including the involvement of women and youth in the search for solutions, ever mindful that conflict is a driver of poverty and underdevelopment and therefore inimical to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The theme of Guyana’s participation in the Security Council is “Partnering for Peace and Prosperity”. The statement said that Guyana’s tenure on the Council will be rooted in a firm commitment to multilateralism and guided by the priorities of (i) climate change, food insecurity and conflict; (ii) peacebuilding and conflict prevention; (iii) women, peace and security; (iv) protection of children in armed conflict; and (v) youth, peace and security.
In keeping with these priorities, Guyana has endorsed the ‘Joint Pledge on Climate, Peace, and Security’ and joined the ‘Statement of Shared Commitments on Women, Peace, and Security’.
This will be Guyana’s third time serving on the Council following terms in 1975 – 1976 and 1982-1983.
On December 8th last year, the United Nations Security Council held consultations, on a request triggered by this country in the wake of Venezuelan aggression over the border controversy with Guyana.
At the UNSC meeting, the Guyana and Venezuela matter came up in a closed-door meeting after the council had met and voted on the draft resolution on the situation in Gaza.
Guyana wrote the UNSC, citing Article 35 (1) of the United Nations (UN) Charter, which states that any UN member state “may bring any dispute, or any situation referred to in Article 34 [that is, one that may lead to international friction or give rise to a dispute] to the attention of the Security Council or of the General Assembly.”
There has been no further word on the outcome of this meeting.
Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations, Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett conveying Guyana’s flag to stand with those of other Security Council members outside the Council chambers. (Photo from Guyana’s mission to the UN)
