Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, the Guyanese nominee for the position of United Nations Secretary-General, has expressed her intention to utilize the UN’s ‘good offices’ mechanism to address the increasing escalation of conflicts globally. During an interactive session with member states, she highlighted the importance of conflict resolution tools available to the Secretary-General, stating, “On conflict resolution, all the tools that are available to me as Secretary General, the good offices, I think that this is something we can use more. My own country benefited from the good offices process of the UN.”
The ‘good offices’ process has been employed for over 50 years to address the Guyana-Venezuela controversy regarding the validity of the 1899 Arbitral land boundary award. Guyana has taken the matter to the UN’s International Court of Justice and remains hopeful for a favorable outcome. However, Rodrigues-Birkett did not directly address specific concerns raised by a Cuban representative regarding “war-like rhetoric” and the “non-use of force” during the session.
The Cuban representative questioned what actions Rodrigues-Birkett would take to promote a culture of peace and peaceful dispute resolution amidst rising tensions, particularly in light of recent comments from U.S. President Donald Trump regarding regime change in Cuba. Relations between Cuba and Guyana have deteriorated in recent years, with Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali advocating for dialogue that leads to improved conditions for the Cuban people.
Rodrigues-Birkett, who is currently Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the UN and has represented the country on the UN Security Council, pledged to be proactive in employing peace-building and conflict-resolution tools if elected as Secretary-General. She emphasized the significance of education as a human right, drawing from her experience as Minister of Amerindian Affairs, where investments in education led to the emergence of professionals from remote communities. She noted that investment in development and peace is also an investment in human rights, as conflicts often lead to immediate human rights violations.
Source: demerarawaves.com
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