Statements

Mr. President, Your Excellency Ahmed Attaf,

Thank you and the Algerian delegation for convening this timely debate. I also thank the Secretary-General, His Excellency Antonio Guterres, for his comprehensive briefing and indeed for his leadership and strident advocacy for peace in the Middle East.

Mr. President, Excellencies,

Statement delivered by Her Excellency Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations, during Security Council Briefing on the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) and United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) - 17 January 2025

Thank you, Mr. President,

I also thank USG LaCroix and Major General Gauchat for their briefings, and welcome the participation of Lebanon, Syria and Israel in today’s meeting.

Thank you, Mr. President

I thank USG DiCarlo for her briefing and welcome the participation of Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Estonia and the European Union in today’s meeting.

Mr. President,

The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has created a humanitarian catastrophe of epic proportions, with the vast majority of civilian casualties and damage to educational and health facilities occurring in the territory of Ukraine.

Distinguished members of the Council,

1- I have the honour to deliver this statement on behalf of the A3+, namely Guyana, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and my own country, Algeria.

2- Allow me to start by extending our thanks to the United Kingdom for their commendable efforts in steering the discussion on the resolution that has just been adopted.

3- Despite the imperfections in the text of this resolution, the A3+ has voted in favour. We recognize the merit of many of its provisions and the significant progress that has been achieved in this resolution.

Thank you, Mr. President,

Guyana voted in favour of the resolution renewing the reporting request for the Secretary-General to provide monthly reports on Houthi attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, until 15 July 2025.

Guyana believes that the reporting mandate created by resolution 2722 is an important contribution to maritime security in the Red Sea and to addressing the negative impacts of the Houthi attacks. Establishing the facts on the ground is important for accountability whether that accountability comes now or in the future. 

Thank you, Madam Chair,

I thank Mr. Railton, Mr. Huntley and Ms. Gavarrete for their briefings. Guyana welcomes the convening of this Arria-formula meeting to discuss commercial spyware and the maintenance of international peace and security. 

The advent of commercial spyware, like many emerging technologies, poses a threat to national and international security when misused. This type of surveillance technology initially developed for legitimate purposes, including for cybersecurity and to counter terrorism now poses a threat to these purposes. 

Mr. President, 
 
I am honored to deliver this statement on behalf of the A3+, namely Algeria, Guyana, Sierra Leone, and my own country Somalia. We express our gratitude to Special Envoy Hans Grundberg, and OCHA ASG Joyce Msuya, for their invaluable updates on the situation in Yemen, and I would also like to welcome the Permanent Representative of Yemen to this meeting.  
 

Thank you, Chair, 

Over the past three years, we have rightly placed significant focus on the impacts of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine on civilians, recognizing its devastating toll on the lives and livelihoods of millions of civilians and the magnitude of the displacement crises created. Today’s meeting allows us to spotlight one aspect of this conflict which deserves more attention - that is, the abuse and ill-treatment of prisoners of war and civilian detainees in violation of International Humanitarian Law.

Dear Colleagues,

I have the honor to deliver this statement on behalf of the members of the A3+, namely Guyana, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and my own country, Algeria.

At the outset, we would like to thank Mr. Pedersen and Mr. Fletcher for their valuable briefings.

Dear Colleagues,

Syria, a land of timeless history and the cradle of civilizations, stands at a pivotal crossroad.

Thank you, Mr. President,

I thank ASG Khiari for his briefing and welcome the participation of the Representatives of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Japan in this meeting.
Guyana is deeply concerned that the Government of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea continues to launch intermediate-range ballistic missiles (IRBMs) in violation of resolutions of the Security Council.