UNITED NATIONS – For the first time in its current term, Guyana has taken the helm of the United Nations Security Council, beginning a one-month presidency focused on conflict prevention and the protection of vulnerable populations. Guyana’s Ambassador to the UN, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, on Monday assumed the rotating presidency from Greece and outlined an ambitious program for June. Her top priorities include safeguarding children in armed conflict and examining how poverty and underdevelopment can fuel instability – themes that reflect Guyana’s push to link sustainable development with global peace.
A signature event of Guyana’s presidency is set for June 19, when President Dr. Mohammed Irfaan Ali will travel to New York to chair a high-level Security Council debate on “poverty, underdevelopment and conflict”. The aim, Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett said, is to build on past discussions about the “relationship between sustainable development and international peace and security”. By highlighting economic drivers of conflict, Guyana hopes to encourage a holistic approach to peace that addresses root causes like inequality and lack of opportunity. President Ali’s involvement underscores the national importance Guyana places on this issue, as the country leverages its growing international profile to advocate for the Global South.
During its presidency, Guyana will also steer the Council’s routine deliberations on several crises worldwide. Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett noted that meetings this month will cover conflicts in Syria, Iraq, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, and the Central African region, as well as thematic issues such as the use of chemical weapons and the situation in the Middle East. Notably, Guyana has signaled it will continue its principled stance on the question of Palestine’s self-determination. “We have been vocal on the issue of Palestine long before we came on the Security Council,” Rodrigues-Birkett affirmed, referencing Guyana’s longstanding support for Palestinian rights and opposition to occupation. She stressed that lasting peace in the Middle East requires a just solution for the Palestinian people – a viewpoint she says Guyana will bring to the Council’s debates.
Guyana’s elevation to presiding the 15-nation Council – only the second time in its history – is a diplomatic milestone for the small South American state. It comes as Guyana itself prepares to mark 59 years of independence and a rising role in international affairs. Officials in Georgetown say the Security Council agenda this month reflects Guyana’s “One Guyana” ethos on the world stage – advocating unity, development, and justice as foundations for peace. At month’s end, Guyana will hand over the gavel to Pakistan, but not before leaving its mark. As Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett put it, the presidency is an opportunity for Guyana to “punch above its weight” and ensure issues critical to developing nations remain at the forefront of the world’s premier security body.
