President calls for overhaul as global conflicts reveal flaws in international system

Amid rising tensions across multiple regions, global conflicts are highlighting significant weaknesses in the international system, prompting calls for urgent reforms. Guyana’s President, Mohamed Irfaan Ali, is one leader who has emphasised the need for coordinated global action, warning that existing frameworks are ill-equipped to manage the complexities of 21st-century diplomacy and security challenges.

Speaking on the popular UK political podcast The Rest Is Politics: Leading with host Alastair Campbell, President Ali stressed the importance of transparent dialogue on real changes to improve the international system and strengthen global institutions such as the United Nations (UN). He argued that the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and Haiti expose deep inequalities, underscoring the urgent need for a more equitable world order where international rules apply universally – not only to powerful nations.
“We [Guyana] have made our position very clear. Every country has a right to sovereignty, and every country’s sovereignty must be fully respected,” President Ali said. “I believe that the people of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Government deserve to live in their sovereign space.”
Describing the war as a global burden, he called for urgent de-escalation, noting that resources currently channelled into conflict could instead be used for humanitarian efforts and the restoration of democracy.
The President also criticised the inconsistent global response to crises. Highlighting Haiti, he remarked, “The fact that Haiti is one of the only countries that paid for its independence. People will rightfully ask the question: Are we living in two different worlds, or are there two different standards that are governing the global policy-making environment?”
On the effectiveness of the United Nations, President Ali was blunt: “The system cannot be hijacked,” he stressed. “Many leaders in the developing world view the United Nations system as hijacked. There cannot be different systems of reporting for different countries or regions. There must be a common system through which everyone is held accountable.”
Addressing the ongoing genocide in Gaza, President Ali advocated for a principled, multilateral approach: “There is only one solution. That’s a two-state solution. We believe that it’s through dialogue, discussions, and negotiation, and the international community must take a principled position and act on those positions.”
President Ali argued that addressing these disparities requires fundamental reform of the multilateral system, including the expansion of the UN Security Council.

Intensify efforts
Earlier this month, Guyana had called on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to urgently intensify efforts to stop Israel’s planned takeover of Gaza City and to work towards a permanent ceasefire in the region. The appeal came from Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, during the Council’s 9975th meeting on the Middle East and the Palestinian question on August 10, 2025.
In her address, Rodrigues-Birkett condemned the Israeli Security Cabinet’s decision to occupy Gaza City by October 7, 2025, a move she warned would forcibly displace hundreds of thousands of Palestinians and severely undermine the two-state solution.
She urged Israel to reverse what she described as a “reprehensible” decision and highlighted the broader pattern of actions in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem that violate international law and threaten global peace and security.
While condemning the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel by Hamas and other armed groups, Rodrigues-Birkett maintained that “nothing – absolutely nothing – justifies the collective punishment” Israel has inflicted on Gaza over the past two years.
She challenged Member States to ask themselves why Israel acts in defiance of international law, why such actions are not met with a united and forceful Council response, and whether any nation would tolerate such treatment of its own citizens.
Citing the International Court of Justice’s clear position on the illegality of any annexation of Palestinian territory, she urged the Security Council to step up pressure on Israel to withdraw completely to pre-1967 borders. Guyana also pressed for immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire measures, an end to violence against civilians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and unimpeded humanitarian access across Gaza.