UN SG’s representative here to fulfil mandate – Harmon

Border controversy

Minister of State, Joseph Harmon on Thursday disclosed that the recent visit by the Personal Representative of the United Nations Secretary General in the Good Offices Process on the border controversy between Guyana and Venezuela is part of his mandate in resolving the issue.
Ambassador Dag Havland Nylander and his delegation visited the State House on Wednesday evening where discussions were held with President David Granger and his team on the ongoing border controversy with neighbouring Venezuela.

At the post-Cabinet press briefing, Minister Harmon updated the media on the meeting. According to Harmon, Ambassador Nylander’s visit is part of what is called his plan of action in relation to the mandate.
“So, his visit here came shortly after his visit to Caracas in Venezuela and it was basically a fact-finding mission and the President (David Granger), after listening and talking, gave the assurance that Guyana would have the confidence in the capabilities of the person who was identified by the Secretary General to undertake this very important assignment and that we will continue to work with the United Nations to ensure that we have a favourable outcome,” Harmon related.
Apart from Ambassador Nylander, the high-level UN delegation at Wednesday’s meeting included: Guillermo Kendall of the UN Department of Political Affairs, David Hutchinson from the UN Office of Legal Affairs and Juan Jeannet-Acre from the Policy and Mediation Division in the Department of Political Affairs.  They were accompanied by acting UN Resident Coordinator and the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Country Director, Martin Odiit.
Meanwhile, also included in the Government team were: Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge; Minister Harmon; Guyana’s Ambassador to Venezuela, Cheryl Miles; Director General at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, Ambassador Audrey Waddell; foreign policy expert, Sir Shridath Ramphal in the role of adviser and legal consultant, Professor Payam Akhavan.
Ambassador Nylander was appointed earlier this year to ensure the continuation of the Good Offices Process as laid out by the Secretary General until the end of 2017 with a strengthened mandate of mediation, with the understanding that “if by the end of 2017, the Secretary General concludes that no significant progress has been made towards arriving at a full agreement for the solution of the controversy, he will choose the International Court of Justice as the next means of settlement unless the Governments of Guyana and Venezuela jointly request that he refrain from doing so”.