Guyana’s candidate for United Nations Secretary-General, Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett, has called for stronger international cooperation and decisive leadership to address escalating conflicts, humanitarian emergencies and mounting pressure on the global body’s finances.
She made the remarks during a recent dialogue at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, D.C., where she outlined the challenges facing the UN and the need for reforms that would improve its effectiveness.
Ambassador Rodrigues Birkett pointed to the growing number of armed conflicts and the changing nature of warfare, including the use of drones and the involvement of non-state armed groups.
She said these developments demand a renewed commitment to the organisation’s peacemaking role.
“Reasserting the United Nations’ historical role as a peacemaker is extremely important,” she said.
The ambassador also drew attention to the widening humanitarian crisis, pressure on development financing, and the effects of climate change, particularly on vulnerable Caribbean states.
These challenges are compounded by the UN’s liquidity crisis, which has intensified demands for the organisation to operate with fewer resources while delivering greater results on the ground.
These demands coincide with a liquidity crisis within the UN, placing greater pressure on the organisation to deliver results despite limited resources.
Against this backdrop, the ambassador argued that countries must deepen cooperation rather than turn inward as global challenges become more interconnected.
“We cannot retreat inwardly when we face global challenges,” she stated.
She also called for closer engagement with non-state actors, including businesses and civil society organisations, whose influence on international affairs continues to grow.
As the UN considers its future leadership, Ambassador Rodrigues Birkett said the next Secretary General must work with member states to advance meaningful reforms and establish a sustainable direction for the organisation.
“We need more diplomacy, not less, even in these circumstances,” she said, stressing the importance of dialogue in resolving international disputes.
The dialogue was shared on Tuesday by the official Facebook page of the Permanent Mission of Guyana to the United Nations.
DPI
