GEORGETOWN, Guyana — Guyana has concluded its two-year tenure as an elected, non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, marking the end of a term that coincided with one of the most challenging periods in recent global affairs.
President Dr. Irfaan Ali, in a video statement posted on his official Facebook page, said Guyana’s service from Jan. 1, 2024, to Dec. 31, 2025, was guided by the theme “Partnering for Peace and Prosperity” and reflected the country’s commitment to multilateralism.
“Guyana’s tenure on the Council coincided with a period of profound global and regional upheaval,” Ali said.
He noted that during the two years, the Security Council grappled with major crises, including 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 Council also addressed severe humanitarian and political crises in Haiti, Syria and Myanmar, alongside emerging security developments in other regions. In 2025, renewed tensions between India and Pakistan, as well as between Cambodia and Thailand, further strained international peace and security, Ali said.
Beyond country-specific conflicts, the Council’s agenda included the financing of African Union-led peace operations, worsening food insecurity in conflict-affected regions, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, peacekeeping reform, the safety and security of humanitarian and United Nations personnel, and the future of multilateralism.
“These matters were deliberated amid deep geopolitical divisions among the permanent members, which often hindered the achievement of consensus,” Ali said.
Guyana presided over the Security Council in February 2024 and again in June 2025. During those periods, the country convened two signature events focusing on the impact of climate change and food insecurity on international peace and security, and on poverty, underdevelopment and conflict.
Ali said Guyana pursued “an active and collaborative approach” throughout its tenure, working closely with other elected members and regional partners to advance “inclusive, principled and pragmatic responses” to international peace and security challenges.
Through the A3 Plus mechanism, Guyana worked alongside African members Algeria, Mozambique and Sierra Leone in 2024, and Algeria, Sierra Leone and Somalia in 2025, co-authoring resolutions, presidential statements and press statements on situations including Sudan, Libya and Benin, as well as matters related to Guyana’s territorial controversy with Venezuela.
Guyana also coordinated with the 10 elected members of the Council to advocate for ceasefires and expanded humanitarian access in Gaza, co-authoring several resolutions.
In December 2025, Guyana and Sierra Leone co-authored a landmark resolution on youth, peace and security, which was unanimously adopted by the Council on Dec. 12, 2025. The resolution calls for strengthened youth participation and leadership across peace processes, conflict prevention, peacebuilding, recovery and reconstruction.
Guyana chaired the Security Council Sanctions Committee on Haiti and served as vice chair of committees concerning Afghanistan and the Central African Republic, while contributing to the work of other subsidiary bodies.
During Guyana’s two-year term, the Security Council adopted 90 resolutions, 15 presidential statements, 77 press statements and 21 notes by the president, all of which were subject to negotiation among members.
Ali said Guyana was “widely regarded as a principled and constructive actor, firmly committed to multilateralism, the United Nations Charter and the rule of international law.”
He credited the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Guyana Permanent Mission to the United Nations and supporting agencies at home for what he described as tireless work, and thanked international partners for their cooperation.
“All Guyanese can take great pride in this collective achievement,” Ali said, reaffirming Guyana’s commitment to “the shared pursuit of peace, security and prosperity” on the global stage.