President Irfaan Ali yesterday renewed Guyana’s call for an end to civilian suffering in the Middle East and recognition of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and a homeland of their own.
Addressing the UN General Assembly, Ali placed the Middle East crisis among several conflicts for which he said diplomacy must take precedence over the use of force.
“The world does not need more sophisticated instruments of destruction; it needs a more sophisticated capacity for peace,” he said.
“In this regard, I reiterate Guyana’s call for a just and lasting solution to the crisis in the Middle East, one that brings an end to the suffering of innocent civilians and recognises the Palestinian people’s legitimate right to self-determination and to a secure homeland of their own. We reiterate our support for the two-State solution.”
He did not announce a new initiative or set out specific steps Guyana would take following the address. His remarks restated a position the government advanced during Guyana’s 2024–25 term as an elected member of the UN Security Council.
That term placed Guyana in several debates and votes on Gaza. In March 2024, Guyana abstained on a US-sponsored Gaza resolution. Explaining the vote, Guyana’s UN representative, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, said the text failed to call clearly for an immediate ceasefire and did not adequately address Israel’s responsibilities or the role of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, Stabroek News reported. Guyana’s Security Council term ended on December 31, 2025.
Ali himself has previously spoken more forcefully about Israel’s military campaign. In November 2023, he described what was happening in Gaza as a “publicly televised genocide”, while also condemning Hamas’s attack on Israeli civilians. At the 2024 General Assembly, he condemned the October 7 attack but said Israel’s response was being used as “a weapon of mass extermination”, raising fears of genocide.
More recently, Ali welcomed the Security Council’s adoption of a resolution endorsing a US Gaza peace plan. He then called for urgent action to halt what he termed genocide, return hostages and work towards a two-state solution, according to Stabroek News.
The government’s statements have nevertheless drawn demands for more concrete action at home. Guyana called last year for measures beyond expressions of concern. Guyana Human Rights Association also urged the government to be more forceful in condemning Israel’s actions. Those demands form part of the local backdrop to yesterday’s renewed appeal for Palestinian rights.
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