Guyana defends raising Venezuela border controversy at UN Human Rights Council meeting

Last Updated on Wednesday, 7 May 2025, 20:52 by Writer

Venezuela on Tuesday objected to Guyana raising the adverse impact of the border controversy over the Essequibo Region at the Review of Guyana – 49th Session of Universal Periodic Review by the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Guyana’s Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett told the meeting that her delegation referred to Venezuela’s claim to the 160,000 square kilometre region because of the adverse impact that ultimately it was having on Guyanese.

“Let me say that whatever threatens our development, threatens the human rights of our citizens and so it was necessary for us to mention the spurious claim to two-thirds of our territory,” she said.

But Venezuela’s Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva, Ambassador Alexander Gabriel Yánez Deleuze, promptly requested to intervene on a point of order.

He cited Article 113 of the General Assembly’s Rules of Procedure to request Guyana’s delegation to “refrain from presenting in the UPR (Universal Periodic Review) territorial themes of a strictly bilateral scope.”

“The Human Rights Council does not have a power or mandate to address these kinds of subjects,” he added.

Mr Yánez Deleuze said the UPR must remain with its mandate to “avoid its politicisation”.

The HRC Vice President then reminded country delegations that they must avoid “bilateralising” the multilateral process and remain within the legal framework that has been established by the Council’s resolution and the political framework of the General Assembly and the Security Council.

While Ms Rodrigues-Birkett noted the Vice President’s advice, she pointed out that, “I was just responding to what was raised and, as the UPR process asked us to identify in our report the threats – and we view this as a major one – it was included.”

At the centre of the disagreement was Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Oneidge Walrond stating that “Guyana faces several challenges as a small developing nation including the impacts of climate change and a spurious claim to two-thirds of our territory.”

In his earlier presentation, the Venezuelan Ambassador accused the Guyana delegation of taking the “unfortunate decision” to “twist the intended nature and purpose” of the UPR by referring in its statement and report certain points that relate to the Guyana-Venezuela territorial dispute over the Essequibo Region.

“We wish to underscore the fact that the UPR should adhere strictly to the purposes for which it was established,” he said.