–during tenure at UN Security Council, President Ali says

WITH very limited attention being placed on the long-term effects of conflict and war, President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, has stated that Guyana will use its Presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to address this and other pressing global issues.

The President outlined the country’s agenda during an interview with six-time Emmy Award-winning Television Producer Arick Wierson for Newsweek Magazine, in the US.

“So, we want to use this period of our presidency to not only highlight the effects of conflict and war and the immediate action that is required globally, but also for us to bring to the fore the consequences on the environment and food security that are ultimately, critically integrated and linked to the prosperity of people and their ability to live a comfortable and rewarding life in the future,” he said.

Additionally, Dr. Ali highlighted that one of the many challenges when it comes to the topic of conflict and wars is that very limited attention is placed on the long-term issues such as the impacts on food, the environment and the displacement of people.

The President related: “…So when we look at conflicts and wars, we pay very little attention to the damaging effect, the long-term effect. So there is no allocation of resources or there is no system that allows societies to be rebuilt, that allows structures to be rebuilt, that allows the environment to be regenerated after these conflicts and wars.”

While using Guyana’s Caribbean Community (CARICOM) sister state, Haiti, as an example, Dr. Ali said that conflict has made that country susceptible to a range of obstacles such as malnutrition and the destruction of the environment, to name a few.

The Head-of-State then went on to say: “But these issues are not given the type of attention that they should be given because the focus is on the war itself… it’s on how do we get a ceasefire in Gaza, well in Gaza how do we get food to the people, how do we get water?”

Adding: “But what about the damage to the environment? What about the long-term effect of all the people who will be displaced? How are we going to fulfil their needs? How are we going to ensure the system responds to these effects of war?”

Further, given the growing inter-connectedness of global challenges, there is a pressing need for the UNSC to explore Guyana’s proposed approach in order to uphold international peace and security.

Upon taking up the presidency of the UNSC at the beginning of this month, Dr. Ali decided to issue this call to action, last Tuesday.

This development arises during Guyana’s ongoing two-year tenure on the Council, which is one of the UN’s six principal organs dedicated to preserving international peace and security.
Addressing a pivotal open debate in New York, President Ali highlighted the critical intersections among climate change, food insecurity, and peace and security, advocating for a comprehensive revaluation of how these issues are addressed on the global stage.

The Head of State started his address by highlighting the multifaceted crisis at the intersection of climate change, food insecurity, and conflict.

“The challenges to international peace and security continue to evolve. And our understanding and approach to these challenges must also continue to evolve and [we must] effectively address them,” President Ali stated, highlighting the dynamic nature of global threats and the necessity for adaptive strategies.

He presented stark statistics to the council, which painted a grim picture of the current state of food insecurity, exacerbated by climate change and conflict.

With an estimated 149 million Africans facing acute food insecurity, up by 12 million from the previous year, and a significant portion of these individuals living in conflict-affected regions, the urgency of the situation was made clear.

The President pointed out that these crises often create a vicious cycle of instability, driving up the need for humanitarian assistance and further straining international resources.