Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of Guyana, noting that the 80th anniversary of the United Nations Charter arrives at a crossroads, said “this Organization, our Organization, has delivered.”  Having worked together for the greater good over the years, it is difficult to imagine the world without the UN, he said. Nevertheless, amid raging conflicts, worsening food insecurity and the threat of climate change, the moment calls for candid and honest reflection.  To remain faithful to the Charter, the United Nations “must ensure that the survival and progress of humanity are not mortgaged to the ambitions of the powerful”.

While condemning the 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas on Israel and calling for an immediate, unconditional release of all hostages, he said Israel’s actions have long demolished any pretence of legitimate self-defence, as what is being witnessed “is not warfare, but mass extermination — a systematic slaughter and displacement of Palestinian men, women and children”.  It is a war crime, he added, calling on the international community to not remain paralysed while an entire people is annihilated.  Likewise, the situation in Ukraine must end.  Guyana reaffirms its commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty and territory.

On Haiti, he called for urgent humanitarian funding and a country-led and owned political process for its stability.  Haiti’s historical indebtedness, which not only hinders its development and upliftment of its peoples but also is a root cause of its “continuing troubles”, must be addressed.  Turning to Guyana’s territorial controversy with Venezuela, he said that despite provisional measures by the International Court of Justice ordering Venezuela to refrain from altering the established jurisdictional status quo, it persists with unilateral laws and annexation threats. “If the rights of a small State can be trampled upon and legally binding orders ignored, what protection remains for any nation under international law?” he asked.

Noting that “the time has come for a frank conversation on Cuba, one that would lead to the prosperity of its people,” and optimize its full potential for the world, he called for a lifting of the embargo and the removal of Cuba from the list of State sponsors of terrorism.  He detailed his Government’s efforts to achieve gender parity, adding that a people-centred approach is key to accelerating Guyana’s action on the Sustainable Development Goals.  Further, he urged the international community to deliver predictable and accessible climate finance, support adaptation and resilience, and to embrace nature-based solutions.