The Guyana Government last evening hailed the decision by the United Nation to give its Good Offices process one more year to resolve the decades-old border controversy between this country and neighbouring Venezuela. THE United Nations (UN) Secretary-General has decided that Guyana and Venezuela are to return to the Good Officers Process for another year with the hope of the two countries coming closer to a resolution on the ongoing border controversy. Outgoing Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, has indicated that based on the various assessments done over the years, a return to the Good Officers Process is the best option at this point. Guyana has since indicated its acceptance of the decision of the UN Secretary-General.
“The Secretary-General has engaged in intensive efforts to find a way forward that would be most conducive to finding a solution… On the basis of that stocktaking, the Secretary-General has reached the conclusion that the Good Offices Process will continue for one final year, with a new Personal Representative of the Secretary-General (PRSG) with a strengthened mandate of mediation, who will be appointed by the Secretary-General-designate shortly after he takes office,” a statement from the Secretary-General’s Office stated.
Additionally, the Secretary-General has stated that should there be no progress within 2017, then the new Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will choose the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as the next means of settlement.
In a statement government said a new point of promise “in our relations with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has been reached.” “It has long been the accepted position of all Governments in Guyana that the best means of settlement of our controversy with Venezuela should be a reference of it to the International Court of Justice. We consider that controversy to be essentially a legal question and one eminently susceptible to a legal process of settlement,” the GoG statement said.
According to Guyana there can be no higher tribunal for this purpose than the International Court of Justice (on which once sat our own distinguished son Mohammed Shahabuddeen) to determine this matter on a definite basis. “The Secretary General of the United Nations acting under the 1966 Geneva Agreement has informed the President of his decision to give the ‘good offices’ process one last period of twelve months, that is to the end of 2017. If, at the end of that period, the Secretary-General concludes that significant progress has not been made towards arriving at a full agreement for the solution of the controversy, he will choose the International Court of Justice as the next means of settlement, unless the Governments of Guyana and Venezuela jointly request that he refrain from doing so.”
Government said it accepts the decision of the Secretary General. “We stand committed to using our best endeavours to fulfill its highest expectations. The Government will be writing formally to him as well as to the President of Venezuela to indicate our acceptance of this decision.

We believe that, in taking this decision, the Secretary General has remained loyal to the sacred mission of the United Nations to uphold the law and maintain the peace between nations – small and large,” the statement added.
Guyana said it will do everything in its power to ensure that the UN SG’s expectations, and those of his successor to whom the mandate of implementation now falls–as well as our expectations are fulfilled. “The Government calls upon all Guyanese to support the process that now lies ahead in the confidence that it will lead to a just and binding resolution of the discords that have plagued our development for so long. It is a fitting advance in this fiftieth year of our independence. May God continue to bless our nation in this noble cause,” the statement ended.