THE Government of Guyana (GoG) has welcomed the statement issued by the United Nations (UN) Security Council, on Monday, in relation to Venezuela’s recent spurious claims to more than two-thirds of Guyana’s sovereign territory.

In a statement, on Tuesday, the government said that this will aid in maintaining peace in the region.
“Guyana is committed to the peaceful resolution of the controversy with Venezuela in full accordance with international law through the process of the International Court of Justice (ICJ),” the government said.

The country also expressed gratitude to the members of the Security Council for its valuable consideration of this issue of great importance for the two countries and the region.
“Guyana welcomes the reaffirmation by members of the Security Council of the importance of upholding the Court’s Order, the principles of respect for each State’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the prohibition of the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of another state, as enshrined in Article 2 (4) of the United Nations Charter.

“The Government of Guyana hopes that the statement by the United Nations Security Council will contribute to the maintenance of regional peace and security, and to ensuring that Latin America and the Caribbean remains a Zone of Peace,” the statement read.

In a statement on April 15, the UN Security Council expressed its concern about the possible escalation of tensions between Venezuela and Guyana, and urged the parties to exercise maximum restraint, reminding them of their obligations to comply with the Order of Provisional Measures issued by the International Court of Justice on December 1, 2023.

The Council also underlined the importance of maintaining regional peace and security, and ensuring that the Latin America and Caribbean region remains a Zone of Peace.

“In this regard, it commended regional efforts which resulted in the conclusion of the Declaration of Peace and Dialogue of Argyle of 14 December 2023 in which Guyana and Venezuela, inter alia, agreed that any controversy between the two states will be resolved in accordance with international law, including the Geneva Agreement of 1966.

“The members of the Security Council urged the parties to resolve their differences through peaceful means and to uphold their obligations under international law and the United Nations Charter. They also stressed the importance of regional actors playing a facilitating role in easing the tensions,” the statement read.

Furthermore, the members reaffirmed the importance of upholding the principles of respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity and the prohibition to any party, on the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of another state, as enshrined in Article 2(4) of the United Nations Charter.