In response to the United States of America (USA) vetoing a resolution on November 20, 2024, calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, Guyana said it would not give up.
For a two-year tenure, the country was elected to the United Nations (UN) Security Council, where it was in charge of the most recent ceasefire resolution.
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Following the U.S. veto, Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett remarked, “Many have said that the ongoing annihilation of the Palestinian people is a major stain on our collective conscience.”
She continued that the Council had an opportunity to begin addressing that blemish.
Rodrigues noted, “…But despite our best efforts and the almost universal support to go in that direction the Council was again hamstrung by a veto.”
Rodrigues continued, “Guyana hopes that the failure to pass this resolution will not be interpreted by those intent on prolonging this conflict as a green light to keep killing, starving, and injuring innocent civilians.”
Rodrigues emphasized that “the continuation of sheer misery cannot and must not be the fate of Palestinians”.
In this regard, Rodrigues confirmed that Guyana will persist in advocating for peace in the Middle East.
Rodrigues remarked, “Their suffering must end. They need to see the seeds of peace being planted by this Council they need to see that this Security Council is giving peace a chance,” Earlier, Rodrigues reminded the Council that “hope was dashed today … that hope has not been eclipsed.”
She asserted, “Guyana will continue to work with fellow Council members to try to achieve tomorrow what we could not achieve today. Not trying is simply not an option.”
The USA vetoed a resolution at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that called for an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, as Israel’s attacks on the Palestinian territory persist,” the report stated.
Approximately 14 Council members supported a ceasefire, but the U.S. voted against the resolution as a permanent council member, while the remaining 14 members endorsed it.
Robert Wood, the Deputy U.S. envoy, was reported saying, “We made clear throughout negotiations that we could not support an unconditional ceasefire that failed to release the hostages.”
Wood reportedly stated, “A durable end to the war must come with the release of the hostages. These two urgent goals are inextricably linked. This resolution abandoned that necessity, and for that reason, the United States could not support it.”
Reports indicate that this recent action marks the “fourth time that US President Joe Biden’s administration has vetoed a resolution calling for an end to the war in Gaza since Israel’s military offensive began in October of last year.”
To date, approximately 44,000 individuals have lost their lives in Gaza, many of whom are women and children.
The International Criminal Court has consequently issued warrants for arrest for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, and a Hamas military leader for alleged war crimes.
