Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett
Earlier this week, Guyana was one of 14 countries on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to support a resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, where the Israel-Hamas conflict continues to wreak havoc and claim lives every day.
The vote was an almost unanimous one, with the lone abstention coming from the United States (US), represented by its UN Permanent Representative, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
In her statement following the vote, Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett welcomed the passage of the resolution for the ceasefire. According to her, its passage comes not a moment too soon.
“Guyana is pleased that this council has finally been able to adopt a resolution which demands an immediate ceasefire, albeit for the month of Ramadan, leading to a lasting and sustainable ceasefire. After more than five months of a war of utter terror and destruction, a ceasefire is the difference between life and death, for the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and others,” she stated.
The diplomat also made a call for the immediate and unconditional release of hostages. She referenced the anguish of the families of hostages, on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides of the border.
“The anguish of the families of the hostages held in Gaza, continue to mount, with no clear prospect for the return of their loved ones. Palestinians experience the same anguish, waiting for their relatives who are illegally detained in Israel, to come home.”
“Guyana emphasises the demand for immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. We also demand the release of all Palestinians held in Israeli jails, without trial,” the Ambassador further told the Council.
The resolution was drafted by the non-permanent members of the UNSC, including Guyana, Algeria, Malta, Mozambique, and Switzerland. It follows the failure of a previous US-led resolution that had also proposed a ceasefire, but was defeated last week Friday with 11 voting in favour, three against and one abstention.
Guyana had been that one abstention, with Rodrigues explaining at the time that the resolution did not call for an immediate ceasefire, nor did it explicitly hold Israel accountable for its part in the carnage.
“Contrary to some media and other reports, this resolution does not call for an immediate ceasefire. Instead, we note that it ‘determines the imperative for a ceasefire,’ and calls for support for diplomatic efforts that are ongoing outside of the UN.
“While those efforts must be commended, given the responsibility and mandate of this Council, Guyana could not support a resolution that does not unequivocally call for an immediate ceasefire,” Rodrigues had said.
Guyana has been calling for a ceasefire in Gaza since last year and has supported Caricom’s calls for the UN Security Council Resolution 242 to be adhered to. Resolution 242 was adopted in 1967, and it calls for the withdrawal of Israeli troops from the occupied territories.
Additionally, it acknowledges the claim of sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political independence of every state in the region, while calling on the UN Secretary General to appoint an envoy to facilitate an acceptable solution to the conflict.
The violence between Israel and Palestine group Hamas flared up in January 2023, when Gaza militants fired rockets after an Israeli raid in the West Bank. Israel responded with air strikes. A ceasefire that took effect in May ended, and in September, Israel attacked Hamas in a series of drone strikes after their troops were fired on.
On October 7, Hamas launched an attack on Israeli settlements on the West Bank, which were guarded by members of the Israeli Defence Force (IDF). They killed some 1200 Israelis, including women and children, and took 240 hostages.
