Guyana officially objects to Suriname’s map that included New River Triangle

…GCCI condemns act as threat to sovereignty

Foreign Secretary, Robert Persaud, on Monday confirmed that Guyana has registered objections with the Suriname authorities over the inclusion of the New River Triangle in a Surinamese map that was recently on display at an International Business Conference which was held in Paramaribo, Suriname.

Shortly after, the Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ministry issued a statement pointing out that the internationally recognised boundary between Guyana and Suriname has been settled and agreed upon since 1936, and any depiction suggesting otherwise is inaccurate and does not reflect the legally established boundary.
The Ministry reminded that the internationally recognised map of Guyana confirms that the New River Triangle is part of the sovereign territory of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.
“The internationally recognised map of Guyana confirms that the New River Triangle is part of the sovereign territory of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. This status is based on a binding legal process and international agreements, between and among the Governments of Brazil, Great Britain and The Netherlands in 1936,” the Ministry said.
Reports of the map surfaced on Saturday. According to reports during the International Business Conference a map showing Guyana’s New River Triangle as part of Suriname was used as the official map distributed to all attendees. This is notwithstanding that a Guyanese delegation that included the Guyana Ambassador to Suriname Virjanand Depoo being present at the event.
In its statement the Ministry noted that the presence of representatives of the Government of Guyana at the Conference in no way signifies the condoning by the Government of Guyana of the use of a map that incorrectly represents the territory of Guyana.
“The Government of Guyana was not consulted about the map prior to its distribution. Had it been consulted, it would have strongly objected,” the Ministry said.
Meanwhile, Persaud, in a social media post on Saturday, swiftly declared that “the New River Triangle remains an integral and indivisible part of the territory of Guyana, because it was so determined by a process recognised as binding under international law”.
Persaud affirmed that Guyana will continue to register objection to any and all infringement on Guyana’s territory.
“We have done so and will continue to register our objections at all levels and fora,” Persaud said when contacted by this publication on Monday.
Persaud called on “every Guyanese, especially those of us who hold positions of leadership and influence in this country” to ensure that they “know with certainty and conviction what are the limits of [Guyana’s] territory”.
Persaud reminded that the starting point of the boundary between Guyana and Suriname was decisively determined in 1936 when a joint British-Dutch-Brazilian Boundary Commission identified the source of the Kutari River on the watershed with Brazil, as the tri-junction point where the boundaries of Brazil, British Guiana and Suriname meet.
“The map of the tri-junction point was duly signed by the Brazilian, British and Dutch Boundary Commissioners in 1936. Therefore, Guyana has always enjoyed continuous occupation of its internationally recognised and legally established territory. The New River Triangle has never been recognised nor administered as Surinamese territory and the appendage of a portion of Guyana’s territory to the map of Suriname neither creates nor establishes any legal rights to it,” Robert said.
He further clarified that the Joint Border Commission of Guyana and Suriname does not have a mandate to revisit the established boundary, but instead has a mandate to examine the historical records relating to the unresolved border issues between the two countries and make recommendations to the Foreign Ministers about how these issues may be resolved.

Infringement
The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) also added their voice to the mounting criticism of the situation. In a statement on Monday the business support organisation (BSO) condemned the situation as an infringement on Guyana’s territorial integrity.
The GCCI in its statement noted that the Chamber is deeply concerned by the use of these images as well as the failure of objects to the use of these Images at the event.
The Chamber said: Silence in the face of this threat to Guyana’s sovereignty is viewed as an endorsement of the same, which the Chamber views as inexcusable.
The Chamber called on Business Support Organisations and other agencies that acted as supporting actors to the conference to reject these actions and refrain from supporting or justifying any activity that violates Guyana’s national boundaries.

Dissociates
Meanwhile, the Guyana Manufacturing & Services Association (GMSA), also expressed its concern and condemnation of the recent dissemination of the inaccurate map.
This misrepresentation, occurred during the recently concluded International Business Conference (IBC) held in Paramaribo, Suriname, which the GMSA was a partner in.
The GMSA dissociates itself from the dissemination of this map and any attempt to justify it.
“The New River Triangle is an integral component of Guyana’s sovereign territory, a status solidified by the 1936 tri-junction point agreement, duly signed by the Brazilian, British, and Dutch Boundary Commissioners. Further, Guyana has always maintained uninterrupted occupation and administration of this region, reinforcing its internationally recognised and legally established borders,” the statement from GMSA said.
The body urged all stakeholders—both regional and international—to respect the established treaties and international legal frameworks that uphold Guyana’s territorial sovereignty. Furthermore, we call on our partners to take proactive measures and ensure that such inaccuracies do not recur in future engagements.