Guyana-Venezuela controversy for schools’ curriculum

The Government has agreed to incorporate relevant information on the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy into the public schools’ curriculum.
At a post-Cabinet press briefing on Thursday, Minister of State, Joseph Harmon, said the decision was made at the Ministerial Conference which was held on February 28.
“It was agreed that the information relevant to this issue will be disseminated so that the nation can be sensitised about the controversy, especially with regard to Guyana’s position,” Minister Harmon said.
According to a Government Information Agency (GINA) release, Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge and a team from that Ministry had made a presentation on the 50- year standing controversy at the ministerial conference.
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres announced last month the appointment of a Norwegian diplomat as his Personal Representative in the Good Offices Process on this border controversy. The UN has utilised the Good Offices Process since 1990 in an effort to resolve the matter. The UN Secretary General has decided to give the process one more year with strengthened mediation. If the matter is not resolved by the end of that year, the UN Secretary General will choose the International Court of Justice as the next means of settlement.
President David Granger has welcomed the appointment of the Good Officer, and has pledged that Guyana will abide by the Process, but has added that he would continue to advocate for a juridical settlement.
Guyana and Venezuela have turned to the UN to resolve the controversy through the signing of the Geneva Agreement of 17 February 1966. This decision was reached after Venezuela contended that the Arbitral Award of 1899 regarding the frontier between Venezuela and what is now Guyana is null and void.
Venezuela’s claim to two-thirds of Guyana’s land mass has escalated over the years, with various shows of aggression and harassment.