President Dr Irfaan Ali, accompanied by First Lady Arya Ali and a high-level delegation, is participating in the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
Guyana’s delegation includes Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Hugh Todd, Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony, Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat, Guyana’s leading cardiologist Dr Mahendra Carpen and Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, among others.
On the side-lines of the Assembly, President Ali joined global leaders at a luncheon hosted by the Bill Clinton Global Initiative, where discussions centred on collective responses to global challenges.
Engagement with Global leaders
The Head of State also held bilateral talks with several international partners. He met with Adel al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, and Reem Bint Ebrahim Al-Hashimy, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of State for International Cooperation. Talks focused on strengthening bilateral ties and advancing opportunities for collaboration in development and investment.
On Wednesday, the Guyanese leader also engaged with United States (US) Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who congratulated him on his re-election and pledged deeper cooperation with Guyana, particularly in the areas of military collaboration, security, and economic development.
During a private high-level engagement, both President Ali and Secretary Rubio highlighted the importance of the existing strategic partnership in advancing regional security, especially to support regional efforts in the fight against narco-terrorism and transnational crimes.
Address to the General Assembly
Meanwhile, in his address to the General Assembly, President Ali outlined the pressing crises confronting humanity – including genocide in Palestine, the war in Ukraine, humanitarian emergencies in Sudan and Haiti, and the threats of cybercrime and disinformation. He stressed that the United Nations’ credibility rests on upholding its Charter, protecting human rights, and ensuring that principles, not power, guide global governance.
Against this backdrop, he reaffirmed Guyana’s commitment to international law in the face of Venezuela’s aggression, called for justice for Cuba, advocated stronger financing for sustainable development, and urged greater inclusion of developing countries in decision-making. He underscored the urgent need for bold climate action, reforms to restore stability in Haiti, and accelerated efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
Guyanese Diaspora
During engagements at a reception on Tuesday evening hosted by the Guyanese Diaspora in New York, Ali renewed calls for citizens living abroad to return and invest in the many opportunities that are becoming available in the country, telling the gathering that they need to witness the rapid transformation that is unfolding back home.
President Ali told members of the Guyanese Diaspora that persons are no longer fleeing the country but returning as a result of the development currently unfolding at a rapid pace.
“For those who left a long time ago, the Guyana of today is not the Guyana of yesterday. We are no longer the land that people run from. We are now the land that people are running toward… Every single person in the room knows who we are. We are the fastest-growing economy in the world. We are a land of opportunities,” President Ali declared.
To this end, he outlined his Government’s plans for Guyana’s continued development and assured Guyanese living abroad that they too are welcome to participate in the country’s transformation.
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