-during UNSC tenure, UN Permanent Representative says

GUYANA’S tenure on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has been defined by a consistent and vocal defence of the UN Charter, upholding territorial integrity and sovereignty, and the protection of human rights.

This is according to Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, who was at the time speaking on the ‘Starting Point’ podcast, during which she reflected on the country’s election to the council.

Rodrigues-Birkett noted that Guyana received overwhelming global support in its election to the council and the magnitude of the responsibility that followed.

“We were elected. As you will recall, we had 191 of 192 votes, so we received the highest number of votes at that election in 2023,” she said, noting that the result demonstrated significant trust in Guyana’s leadership, particularly on behalf of small states.

The Permanent Representative underscored the dual nature of the role, noting that it has been a privilege and a burden.

Despite the constraints, she stressed the immense authority of the UNSC. “It’s the one body of the United Nations that, when it makes a decision, it must be adhered to by the entire United Nations,” she said. “Whatever they do there, it ties everyone in the General Assembly … So, it’s the only law-making body of the United Nations, very important.”

Against this backdrop, she noted that Guyana approached its term with clear priorities rooted in multilateralism.

“We were a small state, but small states… does not mean you have small ideas,” she said while adding that small states understanding the value of collective security and co-operation are often the strongest defenders of multilateral systems. “We do not have large militaries. And in this day and age, you do not have military solutions to conflict,” she added.

That philosophy guided Guyana’s interventions. “Every day we sit on the council, we advocate for the charter to be upheld and included in that would be territorial integrity and sovereignty… but also for international human rights law and humanitarian law to be upheld in conflict situations,” Rodrigues-Birkett said.

This approach has defined Guyana’s 23 months on the council even as the term draws to a close.

The ambassador emphasised that Guyana’s contributions were not only recognised but respected.

“Even as a small state, as a non-permanent member, our leadership and our voice, it’s respected at that body,” she said.

This unified posture, she said, earned Guyana meaningful visibility during its tenure. “We were able to have quite a bit of coverage during our time on the council because of the positions we take. They were principled positions,” she noted. “We thrive very, very hard to ensure we stick to our principles, even though the geopolitical context can be very difficult at times. And I’m very pleased that we have been able to do that by and large.”