Guyana takes chair of UN General Assembly’s legal committee 

Guyana has assumed the chairmanship of the Sixth Committee (Legal) of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), with Ambassador Trishala Persaud formally taking up the role on Monday.

Persaud, Deputy Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations, outlined the importance of international law and the committee’s role in advancing the principles and purposes of the UN in her opening statement.
“The role of the Sixth Committee and its authority among Main Committees is unique, as is the central importance of international law for the achievement of the principles and purposes of the United Nations,” she said.
Persaud referenced the preamble of the UN Charter, which reaffirms the organisation’s commitment to fundamental human rights and the establishment of conditions under which justice and respect for international law can be maintained.
Acknowledging the challenges facing multilateralism and international law, she called on delegations to preserve the committee’s longstanding practice of reaching decisions through consensus while addressing existing and emerging global issues.
She also expressed confidence that substantive progress could be achieved during the session through cooperation among member states.
The Permanent Mission of Guyana to the United Nations announced Persaud’s assumption of the chairmanship in a social media post.
Guyana’s leadership of the Sixth Committee reflects its commitment to promoting the rule of law and supporting the UN’s mandate to codify and progressively develop international law under the UN Charter.
The Sixth Committee is the UNGA’s principal forum for considering legal questions, including issues relating to the development of international law and the work of the International Law Commission.