Tag: UN

President Ali briefs UN chief on Venezuela border case

Posted on by Kayleigh Carter

President Dr Irfaan Ali on Friday briefed UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the country’s border controversy with Venezuela, saying the case before the International Court of Justice is expected to be heard in the coming months.

The two leaders also discussed regional developments in the South Caribbean Sea, as well as issues such as artificial intelligence, gender equality and Guyana’s efforts to protect forests and biodiversity, the United Nations said in a statement.

Guterres congratulated Ali on winning a second term earlier this year and praised Guyana’s role on the UN Security Council.

Guyana backs ICC investigations as violence escalates in Sudan

Posted on by Kayleigh Carter

Guyana is sounding the alarm over escalating atrocities in Sudan, particularly the widespread reports of rape and sexual violence against women and girls—an issue described by officials as both grave and urgent.

Speaking at the United Nations Security Council, Guyana’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), Ambassador Trishala Persaud, condemned the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Darfur.

She highlighted the continued targeting of civilian populations, including internally displaced persons camps, and the rising levels of gender-based violence, calling for immediate accountability.

“Guyana is gravely concerned about the continued airstrikes and bombardment on cities and IDP camps, the deteriorating humanitarian crisis which has been described as the worse ever recorded, and the high levels of rape and sexual violence,” she noted.

Ambassador Persaud welcomed the intensified efforts by the International Criminal Court’s Office of the Prosecutor, including the deployment of a dedicated gender-based crimes expert and new partnerships to investigate crimes involving women, children, and vulnerable communities.

“The intensified engagement with civil society, organisations, victims, survivors, and affected communities is welcome, as are the efforts of the Office to support capacity-building activities for civil society organizations documenting international crimes in Darfur,” she emphasised.

She further stressed that more than 25 million people are now facing acute food insecurity, with famine threatening hundreds of thousands. Bombardments and airstrikes continue, even as diplomatic efforts stall. Guyana is urging all parties to immediately halt hostilities and engage in meaningful political dialogue to allow humanitarian aid to reach those in need.

“Guyana reiterates its call for an immediate cessation of hostilities and urges the parties to the engage, in good faith, in political dialogue and diplomatic efforts towards a durable ceasefire and to ensure humanitarian aid reaches those in need in accordance with international humanitarian law,” she said.

The ambassador also pressed for swift investigations and prosecutions, noting the ICC has confirmed reasonable grounds to believe war crimes and crimes against humanity continue to be committed in Sudan.

“We note the Office’s confirmation that it has reasonable grounds to believe that war crimes and crimes against humanity have been, and continue to be, committed in Darfur and look forward to progress on the applications for arrest warrants regarding 2023 crimes. Swift investigation and prosecution can contribute to stemming the wave of terror in Sudan,” the Ambassador noted.

She added that without justice and accountability, the cycle of violence, especially against women, will persist.

Ambassador Persaud concluded with a strong message of support for the International Criminal Court and its independent mandate to bring justice to victims and survivors.

“It is more urgent than ever for the Office of the Prosecutor to make concrete progress on investigations and prosecutions in Sudan, both from the perspective of securing accountability for past crimes, and as a deterrent to future atrocities,” she said.

Witter withdrew at short notice from UN forum

Posted on by Kayleigh Carter

The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) has stated that it will not be distracted from its work in light of negative comments regarding its Chairman’s participation at the UN Permanent Forum of People of African Descent (PFPAD4), currently being held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
In a press release, the ERC expressed deep concern over the negative sentiments surrounding Chairman Shaikh Moeenul Hack’s representation of the Commission at the forum.
The ERC also noted that there is a distinction between the Commission being represented and individual Commissioners being represented.
The Commission stated that in both 2023 and 2024, Commissioner Khafra was unanimously selected to represent the ERC. However, in 2024, at the very last moment, Commissioner Khafra withdrew from representing the Commission and instead chose to attend as a representative of the Guyana Rastafarian Council.

For the 2025 forum, the opportunity to attend was extended to Commissioner Norris Witter, and no objections were raised by any Commissioner, the ERC said.
“On Thursday, 10th April, after 10pm, Commissioner Witter withdrew his intention to attend and requested that Commissioner Ras Khafra replace him. It should be noted that travel to the forum was scheduled for 13th April. Based on his current attendance, it appears that, at the time of Commissioner Witter’s withdrawal, Commissioner Khafra had already secured sponsorship to attend the forum as a representative of the Guyana Rastafarian Council. Furthermore, such a change would have required a decision from the wider Commission regarding the matter of replacement,” the release stated.

The Commission, on this note, emphasised that it will not be distracted by “the theatrics of persons seeking to cloud our vision and work,” stressing that it has consistently addressed complaints from individuals of all races and ethnicities in a fair and transparent manner, including those from the African Guyanese community.
“The Commission has consistently prioritised African culture and issues through its participation in Emancipation observances, the provision of training on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and the development of a Glossary of Terms aimed at eliminating derogatory language used to describe African Guyanese and other ethnic groups,” the ERC said.
It added that it strongly believes that, in order to holistically address injustices such as reparations, the African community requires the support of all people, regardless of ethnicity, in advocating for justice for the crimes of slavery committed against the ancestors of African descent.

UN ocean conference to accelerate action on marine conservation

Posted on by Kayleigh Carter

The third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC), scheduled for 9 to 13 June 2025 in Nice, France, will accelerate urgent action for sustainable ocean use and conservation.

Heads of Government, together with leaders from intergovernmental organisations, the United Nations (UN) system, civil society, the private sector, youth, and other partners, will gather for the conference, co-hosted by France and Costa Rica, to catalyse change for the protection of seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

This is in support of the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 14 (Life Below Water).

The UN has stressed that the ocean is facing a crisis due to climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, which threaten marine ecosystems, economies, human health, and communities worldwide.

“The ocean helps regulate the climate, generates half of the oxygen we need, and acts as a carbon sink. Urgent and transformative action is needed to protect and restore ocean health, an essential component of sustainable development and cultural and social well-being. Strong commitments from all stakeholders will be crucial for effective actions that conserve the ocean,” a statement from the UN indicated.

The conference will include an opening and closing segment, ten plenary sessions, and ten Ocean Action Panels that emphasise the interconnectedness and contributions of ocean efforts across all Sustainable Development Goals.

Taking place within the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030), it will also be the first UN Ocean Conference since the adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework, the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction, and the second conference since the World Trade Organisation Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.

The conference presents a key opportunity to build on these milestones to protect the ocean.

Last year, as part of preparations for UNOC3, the UN System in Georgetown and the French Diplomatic Office in Guyana co-organised an edition of ‘Blue Talks’, a multi-stakeholder discussion and debate involving more than 40 partners working on ocean health in Guyana.

During the meeting, participants discussed food, fishing, livelihoods, raising finance for ocean sustainability, the value of ocean science, and eliminating marine pollution.