Guyana concludes tenure on UN Security Council

Jan 01, 2026 News

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(Kaieteur News) – Guyana has concluded its two-year term as an elected member of the United Nations Security Council. The tenure began on January 1, 2024 and was guided by the overarching theme “Partnering for Peace and Prosperity,” the Office of the President said in a press release.

According to the government Guyana’s tenure on the Council coincided with a period of profound global and regional upheaval. Major crises included the war in Ukraine; the conflict in Gaza; violence in Sudan; the spread of terrorism and violent extremism across the Sahel; the Taliban’s intensified repression of women’s rights in Afghanistan; and the protracted conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Security Council also confronted severe humanitarian and political crises in Haiti, Syria, Yemen, and Myanmar, alongside emerging developments in the Caribbean Sea.

In 2025, renewed tensions between India and Pakistan, as well as between Cambodia and Thailand, further strained international security. The Council also faced difficult decisions on financing African Union–led peace operations, while also addressing worsening food insecurity in conflict-affected regions, the government noted. Its agenda included issues such as cyber security, artificial intelligence, the safety and security of humanitarian and UN personnel, the future of multilateralism, and peacekeeping reform. These matters were deliberated on amid deep geopolitical divisions among the permanent members, which often hindered the achievement of consensus, the release said.

Additionally, government Guyana had the distinction of presiding over the Security Council in February 2024 and again in June 2025. Under Guyana’s presidency, two signature events focused on “The Impact of Climate Change and Food Insecurity on the Maintenance of International Peace and Security” (February 2024) and “Poverty, Underdevelopment, and Conflict: Implications for International Peace and Security” (June 2025).

Guyana also played a notable role in advancing the Women, Peace, and Security Agenda, the Climate Peace and Security Agenda, the Youth Peace and Security Agenda and the Children and Armed Conflict file. It worked closely with Switzerland and Slovenia to draw attention to conflict-induced food insecurity as an Informal Co-Focal Point on Conflict and Hunger.

During its tenure on the Security Council, Guyana pursued an active and collaborative approach, working closely with elected members and regional partners to advance inclusive, principled, and pragmatic responses to international peace and security challenges.

Key actions and contributions during Guyana’s tenure included:

A3+ Collaboration:

Guyana worked closely with the African members of the Council—Algeria, Mozambique, and Sierra Leone in 2024, and Algeria, Sierra Leone, and Somalia in 2025—under the A3+ Mechanism. Together, the A3+ partners co-authored resolutions, Presidential Statements, and press statements on situations including Sudan, Libya, Benin, and the Guyana–Venezuela controversy.

Engagement with Elected Members (E10):

Guyana coordinated with the ten elected members to advocate for ceasefires and expanded humanitarian access in Gaza, including the co-authorship of several resolutions addressing the situation.

Youth, Peace and Security:

We co-authored with Sierra Leone a landmark resolution on Youth, Peace and Security aimed at strengthening the mainstreaming of youth across the peace and security agenda. The resolution calls, inter alia, for enhanced youth participation and leadership in peace processes, conflict prevention, peace-building, recovery, and reconstruction at all levels, and was unanimously adopted by the Council on 12 December 2025.

Leadership in Subsidiary Bodies:

Guyana chaired the Security Council Sanctions Committees on Haiti and Guinea-Bissau, and served as Vice-Chair of the Committees concerning Afghanistan and the Central African Republic. We also actively contributed to the work of other subsidiary bodies.

High-Level Engagement and Field Missions:

Guyana helped to organise and lead high-level briefings, debates, and expert engagements, including a Security Council mission to Colombia in February 2024 and an informal expert field mission to Chad in December 2025. Guyana also convened the annual open debate on Children and Armed Conflict.

Coordination and Regional Outreach:

Guyana was honoured to serve as Coordinator for the E10 group (October 2024 and October 2025), the A3+ group (January–March 2025), and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Caucus in the Security Council. In this capacity, Guyana worked closely with CARICOM and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to elevate regional perspectives and priorities.

Civil Society Engagement:

“We collaborated with civil society organisations to facilitate briefings for Council members, enhancing understanding of on-the-ground realities in several conflict-affected situations,” the release stated. During Guyana’s period of service, the Security Council adopted 90 resolutions, 15 Presidential Statements, 77 Press Statements, and 21 Notes by the President, all of which were the subject of negotiation. Throughout this time, Guyana was widely regarded as a principled and constructive actor, firmly committed to multilateralism, the United Nations Charter, and the rule of international law.

“Guyana’s service on the Security Council has brought immense acclaim and enhanced the country’s standing on the global stage. Guyana’s successful tenure on the Security Council over the past two years is owed to the outstanding support and tireless exertions of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation. Special recognition is due to Guyana’s Mission to the United Nations and their counterparts at home, whose dedicated efforts spearheaded this national endeavour. Guyana also expresses deep appreciation to its international partners, whose cooperation, goodwill, and constructive engagement strengthened the country’s work on the Council. Through these combined efforts, Guyana’s contributions on the Council remained consistently principled, effective, and widely respected. All of Guyana can take great pride in this collective achievement.

As this service concludes, Guyana takes this opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to the shared pursuit of peace, security, and prosperity, striving together with partners across regions, hemispheres, and the global community to build a more just, inclusive, and harmonious world,” the release concluded.

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• climate change, Food Insecurity, UN Security Council, United Nations

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