“We cannot create destruction towards negotiations to peace” – President Ali on Israel-Iran airstrikes

…reiterates call for respect for international law, diplomacy

On Monday, President Dr Irfaan Ali issued a passionate and urgent appeal for peace amid the military escalation between Israel and Iran, stressing that “we cannot create destruction towards negotiations to peace.”

“If we do not understand the consequential effects of what is taking place, we will all contribute to our collective failure in saving our world and saving humanity. We cannot be killing each other with an aim to negotiate towards peace. We cannot create destruction towards negotiations to peace. We must negotiate to peace to avoid destruction, and that is the position of the Guyana Government. Therefore, we have made a call today for both parties to respect international conventions, international law and international order and in the interests of the family of humanity, to negotiate to end the destruction…,” the Head of State said during his address at the 77th commemoration of Enmore Martyrs’ Day.
President Ali called on all parties to respect international law and conventions. He reminded the global community of the far-reaching, often invisible toll that conflict takes on everyday lives.
“I speak to you today – from the day before the war to today, the price of fuel has already increased by more than 8 per cent. From the day before the war to today, more than 30 million people will go into chronic hunger. From the day before the war to today, and if it continues, the price for cereal and other products will go beyond the 2017 and 2007 levels. So, every single country, every single member of the human family is affected by conflict and war,” he lamented.
On Monday, Guyana voiced strong condemnation of Israel’s recent airstrikes on Iranian facilities, warning that the military escalation threatens to spiral into a wider regional conflict. The country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, delivered a pointed statement during a high-level UN Security Council meeting convened to address the worsening tensions between Israel and Iran.
“Guyana is concerned about the recent military escalation in the region, and calls for maximum restraint from Member States. In a region that is becoming increasingly combustible with each passing day, we appeal for dialogue, diplomacy and good sense to prevail, and for all parties to commit to no further military escalation in the region,” Rodrigues-Birkett said.
With fears of a broader war mounting, Guyana joined calls from several UN member states for immediate restraint, dialogue and a return to diplomatic channels. Rodrigues-Birkett also warned of the grave risk of nuclear catastrophe if the conflict escalates further, and emphasised that the world “simply cannot afford any miscalculations.”
In this regard, Guyana’s delegation called on both parties to strictly adhere to international law, the UN Charter, and international humanitarian law, particularly the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“Guyana, therefore, urges both Israel and Iran to fully comply with their obligations under international law and relevant resolutions adopted by this Council. We further call on the two parties to uphold the principles of respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, to adhere fully to international humanitarian law and the United Nations Charter, and to settle their differences peacefully,” the Permanent Representative to the UN said.
Guyana therefore pledged to support any Security Council measure that upholds its mandate to preserve international peace and security.
“The Council must take a united approach to these developments to confront the prospects of outright war in the region and the devastating consequences that would follow for the region and beyond. The maintenance of international peace and security requires us all to take decisive action, and now is the moment to redouble our collective efforts to prevent a wider conflagration,” Rodrigues-Birkett said.