– Guyana’s UN Permanent Representative says as country ends Security Council presidency

AS Guyana’s tenure as president of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) came to an end, Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) for Guyana, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, said that it represented proof that small countries can take on responsibilities.

Rodrigues-Birkett stated that a country is seen through many lenses, including that of the diplomats who represent it.

“I therefore cannot let this historic moment pass without recognising and thanking our capable and competent diplomats at the Permanent Mission of Guyana in New York who made our country proud, as Guyana held the presidency of the United Nations Security Council for June 2025 – the busiest month of the year for the Council,” she said.

As the smallest country on the council, with the smallest team of diplomats, the representative noted that Guyana has shown that small countries can take on this responsibility and negotiate and make decisions on complex issues in the only law-making organ of the UN.

She went on to add, “A rarity too was that the leadership team in New York comprised four women – Political Coordinator Neishanta Benn, Alternate Political Coordinator Marissa Edwards, Ambassador Trishala Persaud and yours truly.”

Further to this, Rodrigues-Birkett stated that Guyana may next sit on the council in about 36 years given the current lineup of candidate countries for the group of Latin America and the Caribbean.

She used the opportunity to hail Guyana’s time as a once-in-a-generation moment as the nation also held the presidency twice during its tenure.

In 2024, just one month after joining the UNSC as a non-permanent member, Guyana presided over the body for the month of February that year and led a high-level open debate on climate change impact and food insecurity in the maintenance of international peace and security.

Meanwhile, in June of this year, Guyana again assumed the presidency of the body and led a packed agenda that included high-stakes discussions on global conflicts and development.

In June, the council convened mandated meetings on issues relating to Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Yemen and other crisis-affected regions.

A highlight of Guyana’s presidency at that time was a high-level open debate on “Poverty, Underdevelopment and Conflict: Implications for the maintenance of International Peace and Security” which was chaired by President Dr Irfaan Ali.