United Nations, CMC: Guyana was among five non-permanent members elected on Tuesday to the United Nations Security Council for a two-year term, beginning on 1 January 2024.
Guyana recently became the second Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country to serve on the UN Security Council after St. Vincent and the Grenadines had a two-year term that ended in 2022.
During the secret voting at the UN General Assembly, Guyana secured 191 votes out of 192 votes. Six countries vied for the five available seats: Algeria, Belarus, Guyana, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia. They will replace Albania, Brazil, Gabon, Ghana, and the United Arab Emirates.
Belarus failed to secure a seat for the Eastern Europe bloc, with the heart going to Slovenia.
A country must obtain the votes of two-thirds of the Member States present and voting at the session of the General Assembly to get a seat. This means that a minimum of 129 positive votes must be elected if all 193 UN Member States are present and voting.
In a statement, President Irfaan Ali said Guyana is “honored and humbled by the confidence that the international community has expressed in electing us to this important position of responsibility on the global stage.”
He said this marks the third occasion in the country’s history that it has been accorded the opportunity to serve on the Security Council, which is charged under the UN Charter for maintaining international peace and security.
“It is a responsibility that we will assume with utmost seriousness and dedication, mindful of the complex and challenging times in which we live,” Ali said, noting that the theme of our candidacy ‘Partnering for Peace and Prosperity,” serves as a guide to Guyana’s approach to service on the Security Council.
“We intend to be a constructive and engaged partner with the members of the Council and the wider international community in the search for solutions to the myriad of momentous challenges that beset our human family,” he added.
“The government of Guyana looks forward to continuing our nation’s contribution to the strengthening of multilateralism and the promotion of peace, sustainable development, human rights, and respect for international laws both for the people of our own country and for peoples across the globe,” Ali said in his statement.
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