Guyana was on Tuesday elected a non-permanent member to the United Nations Security Council for one year. The A Partnership For National Unity +Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Opposition, in a statement said the coalition welcomes the announcement that Guyana has once again secured a non-permanent seat on the Council for 2024-2025. Further, they said “we are proud to note that this will be Guyana’s third time serving on the Security Council, having served in 1975-1976 and 1982-1983.” The previous two periods were during the Forbes Burnham Government.
According to the UN, “The Security Council has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security. It has 15 Members, and each Member has one vote. Under the Charter of the United Nations, all Member States are obligated to comply with Council decisions.
“The Security Council takes the lead in determining the existence of a threat to the peace or act of aggression. It calls upon the parties to a dispute to settle it by peaceful means and recommends methods of adjustment or terms of settlement. In some cases, the Security Council can resort to imposing sanctions or even authorise the use of force to maintain or restore international peace and security.”
The coalition said, “the international security landscape presents complex challenges that require concerted global efforts to address. We in the APNU+AFC believe in managing these challenges through the rule of international law and constructive dialogue among nations. Guyana’s appointment to the Security Council provides us with an opportunity to advocate for these principles and contribute meaningfully to the Council’s work.”
The Opposition also expressed gratitude to the dedicated Foreign Service personnel for their efforts in this regard as well as to the international community for their support throughout Guyana’s bid for this prestigious seat.
Congratulations were also extended to the other elected states, Algeria, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia.
