‘Power must not triumph over principle’ – Pres Ali
– reiterates call for urgent action to cease warfare
Calling for intensified action by the United Nations (UN) on critical global issues such as the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, His Excellency Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali said that measures guided by principle must be employed to restore peace.
President Ali was at the time addressing the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday afternoon.
The UN General Assembly occurs annually in September at the UN’s headquarters in New York, USA. It brings together world leaders to discuss, debate, and pass resolutions on some of the biggest issues facing the planet.
President Ali said the powerful must never be allowed to take advantage of the powerless.
“The United Nations’ noble mission to maintain international peace and security will ring hollow if it allows power to triumph over principle and might to override right in remaining faithful to its charter. The [UN] must ensure that the survival and progress of humanity are not mortgaged to the ambitions of the powerful,” he said.
Doubling down on the position, the president reiterated Guyana’s insistence on a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestinian question. He stated that the decimation of Gaza was not warfare, but “mass extermination, a systematic slaughter and displacement of Palestinian men, women, and children.”
“We must take urgent action to halt the genocide, return the hostages, and accelerate our efforts towards a two-state solution. We urge Qatar, Egypt, and the United States to continue their efforts in this regard,” President Ali said.
The head of state also advocated for Haiti and Cuba, asking that special attention be placed on their needs to advance their development.
On Haiti, he stressed restoring security security is the foremost priority, which requires strict enformcement of the arms embargo and robust support for the UN-authorised mission.
“I emphasise that without urgent humanitarian funding and a Haitian-led and owned political process, stability will remain elusive,” he stated.
Turning to Cuba, President Ali said the time has come for a frank conversation that would liead to the prosperity of its people and allow the country to optimise its full potential that Cuba offers to its people and the rest of the world.
“Central to this dialogue is the lifting of the embargo on Cuba and its removal from the list as a state sponsor of terrorism,” the president added.
Guyana has consistently asserted itself as a formidable voice on the international stage regarding global issues. Its term on the UN Security Council, which concludes later this year, has definitively established the country’s perspective as influential among world leaders.
The president thanked the staff of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation for their efforts.
