WHILE highlighting the multifaceted role of the Organisation of American States (OAS) which includes defending the sovereignty and territorial integrity of member states, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, has said that Guyana is counting on the institution’s continued support regarding the ongoing border controversy with Venezuela.

Minister was at the time delivering remarks during the plenary of the Fifty-Fourth Regular Session of the General Assembly of the OAS held under the theme “Integration and Security for Sustainable Development in the Region” in Asunción, Paraguay.

During his remarks, Minister Todd noted that the OAS stands as the premier hemispheric institution developed to achieve “an order of peace and justice, promote solidarity, strengthen collaboration, and defend the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and the independence of the American States.”

The ministry said that in this regard, Minister Todd stated that Guyana will continue to count on the support of the OAS as the nation seeks to implement the December 1, 2023, Order of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the Joint Declaration of Argyle for Dialogue and Peace between Guyana and Venezuela, while awaiting the ruling of the Court on the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award.

According to the ministry, he also welcomed the progress over recent months in Haiti and reaffirmed the solidarity and commitment of the government and the people of Guyana with the government and the people of Haiti.

Minister Todd further alluded to the current global flashpoints and prevailing geopolitical flux which exacerbate the overall impact of threats to regional security and underscored the importance of countering these threats through concerted action and a regional commitment to enhanced cybersecurity capacity to effectively combat emerging threats.

The minister posited that developing adequate resilience, response capability, and strengthening the region’s collective security must be a point of common cause for all member states in maintaining the region as a Zone of Peace, the ministry said.

In concluding, Minister Todd called on member states to remain optimistic in working to forge an organisation more grounded in collective aspirations as a hemispheric community, anchored in the principles and precepts of International Law, and more responsive to the imperative of a more secure, sustainable and resilient future for the peoples of the Americas.