Guyana readies for UN Security Council tenure, President Ali promises to fight for Haiti

Guyana will serve its two-year term on the United Nations (UN) Security Council starting January 1, 2024 but already, the country’s President Dr. Irfaan Ali is calling for greater global support for the crisis in Haiti.

The President spoke at an Atlantic Council engagement in Washingston DC on Thursday.

There, he said Guyana’s term on the Security Council will be marked by a focus on ensuring there is peace and stability in all countries. And he identified Haiti as a country enduring a longstanding crisis without adequate support and attention.

“We are seeing tremendous effort globally on getting consensus on Ukraine and we are glad because that we are part of that.

“Frankly speaking Haiti has not been getting the global attention that it deserves in its time of crisis,” President Ali said.

Dr. Ali added that a united effort, at the UN level specifically, needed to help address the situation in Haiti is lacking.

“The effort to get to a UN resolution is as critical as the issue in Ukraine,” President Ali emphasised.

Gang violence has surged in Haiti and many believe that is linked to the instability arising out of the July 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moise. That violence caused disruptions to health and educational services and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which both Haiti and Guyana are part of, has been lobbying for greater support for the country.

Given the concerns Guyana has about Haiti, President Ali said Guyana will use its time on the council to garner support for Haiti and other countries where support is necessary.

He emphasised, “We intend as a small country to ensure that the challenges of all of the world are represented.”