By: Tiana Cole | HGP Nightly news |
Guyana is once again pressing the international community to prioritize long-overdue reforms at the United Nations, particularly within its most powerful and influential decision-making body—the UN Security Council (UNSC).
Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, said during a recent interview on Starting Point that meaningful restructuring of the Council is essential if the UN is to reflect modern geopolitical realities and uphold true democratic values.
Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett stressed that both Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean remain excluded from permanent representation on the Security Council, describing it as a longstanding injustice that can no longer be justified.
She noted that while some nations have called for the abolition of the veto, a more practical step would be introducing a higher threshold for its use, preventing a single country from unilaterally overriding the will of the international community.
Rodrigues-Birkett also underscored the imbalance in geographical representation on the Council, stating that several regions are significantly overrepresented while others—despite their size, population, and global contributions—have no permanent seat at all.
“No other international institution allows one nation to kill a decision,” she emphasized, adding that genuine reform must focus not only on the composition of the Council but also on how decisions are made.
During the interview, Ambassador Rodrigues-Birkett highlighted Guyana’s active role on the UNSC since its election to the body with 191 out of 192 votes in 2023, the highest tally in that election cycle. She said Guyana has used its seat to vigorously defend the UN Charter, promote territorial integrity and sovereignty, and advocate for the protection of human rights globally.
As the global landscape continues to shift, Guyana maintains that UN Security Council reform is no longer optional—it is urgent, necessary, and integral to maintaining global peace, security, and fairness.
