Foreign Minister, Guyanese envoy engage in multinational security support mission

…as Guyana pronounces on border controversy, Haiti mission, global security at UN

Guyana’s leadership on matters of peace, security, and international law was on full display this week at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York, where Foreign Minister Hugh Todd and Permanent Representative to the UN Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett represented the country in a series of high-level engagements.
On Monday, Todd addressed the Commonwealth Foreign Ministers Meeting, where he reaffirmed Guyana’s position on the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy. He used the forum to underline Guyana’s commitment to the rule of international law and to peaceful settlement of disputes, stressing that Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity remain non-negotiable. Venezuela is claiming Guyana’s Essequibo region — something Guyana has consistently rejected and challenged through international legal avenues such as the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

Later the same day, Minister Todd joined world leaders at the High-Level Event on the Multinational Security Support Mission (MSS) to Haiti, hosted by President William Ruto of Kenya. The meeting examined lessons learned from Kenya’s leadership of the mission over the past year and heard perspectives from participating states on the way forward. Todd’s participation underscored Guyana’s solidarity with the people of Haiti and the country’s recognition of the importance of regional and global partnerships in addressing security crises. Meanwhile, at the UN Security Council, Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett delivered a pointed intervention during a briefing on threats to international peace and security, following the reported violation of Estonia’s airspace by Russian fighter jets. She noted that the September 20 incident marked the fifth such violation claimed by Estonia and described it as a “dangerous escalation” in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine. Rodrigues-Birkett called on all parties to exercise restraint, de-escalate tensions and provide verifiable information to the Security Council to clarify the facts. She stressed that breaches of airspace constitute serious violations of sovereignty and international law, reminding member states of their obligations under the UN Charter. “Guyana has taken careful note of the letter dated 20th September from the Permanent Representative of Estonia, in which he asserts that this was the fifth violation of Estonia’s airspace by the Russian Federation, marking a dangerous escalation and the most serious violation thus far. We have also taken note of the public statement issued by the Russian authorities, denying that the three jets violated Estonia’s airspace. Saturday’s incident appears to follow a pattern of similar events in the region that are unfolding in the context of the ongoing armed conflict in Ukraine…Given that there have been similar incidents in the recent past, it is reasonable to assume that they will continue to occur unless appropriately addressed. In this respect, we underscore the need for the Security Council to have access to detailed and verifiable information regarding the incidents and encourage the relevant parties to cooperate with the United Nations toward that end,” she said. The ambassador further emphasised Guyana’s longstanding position on the conflict in Ukraine, urging an immediate peaceful resolution and full implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions. She warned that any further expansion of the war would bring dire consequences for civilians and global stability. Through these interventions, Guyana positioned itself as an active voice in international diplomacy—highlighting its defence of sovereignty in the Western Hemisphere, its support for security and stability in the Caribbean and its principled stance on respect for international law in Europe.
“Members of the Security Council have a collective responsibility to find ways and means of preventing disputes from escalating, including through diplomatic efforts, and must apply the tools provided in the Charter and relevant Conventions for the peaceful settlement of any dispute between states. On the broader question of the ongoing armed conflict between Russia and Ukraine, we reiterate our demand for an immediate and peaceful end to the war and for the full implementation of Security Council resolution 2774. Any expansion of this conflict will have dire consequences for innocent civilians in the region and for the world at large. This must be avoided at all cost,” she added.