UNITED NATIONS, New York — In a strong appeal to the international community, Guyana’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd, told the United Nations Security Council that developing countries cannot achieve sustainable growth without peace and security. Speaking during the Council’s Open Debate on Poverty, Underdevelopment and Conflict, Todd called for global leaders to acknowledge the deep connection between security and development.
“Peace and security cannot be divorced from development,” he said during his address. “Poverty and underdevelopment are common features across many of the situations of which the Security Council is seized.”
Todd’s remarks underscored Guyana’s position that addressing conflict requires more than political resolutions. He urged countries to tackle the root causes of instability—unemployment, lack of education, exclusion, and limited economic opportunities—especially in regions burdened by poverty.
“Political solutions alone will not lead to comprehensive and sustainable peace,” he added, calling for broader, more inclusive strategies to deal with conflict.
The foreign minister also pointed to the structural disadvantages faced by developing countries when trying to access international financing. He said existing systems tend to favour more developed economies, leaving poorer nations to struggle with limited resources just to meet basic needs.
“There is truth in the saying that being poor is expensive,” Todd told the Council. “Developing countries expend more to access finance. The global financial architecture should be more responsive, particularly for countries transitioning out of conflict.”
He called on international financial institutions to revisit their lending frameworks and make capital more accessible, which he believes will give developing states a real chance at breaking the cycle of poverty and violence.
In his address, Minister Todd also pushed for greater investment in youth and women, stating that these groups often carry the heaviest burden in conflict zones but are central to building resilience and sustainable peace.
Supporting the minister at the UN headquarters were Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud and Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett.
Guyana assumed the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council at the start of June, marking the first time the country has held the position since 1986. It currently holds a non-permanent seat on the Council for the 2024–2026 term.
As part of its presidency, Guyana is expected to host the annual Children and Armed Conflict Open Debate on June 25, a key event that will bring renewed focus on the impact of war on vulnerable populations.
Todd’s message was clear: lasting development in the Global South cannot happen without peace—and achieving peace demands more than political promises. It requires a united global effort to tackle inequality and make space for all countries to grow.
