糖心探花 Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, has echoed the alarm of Dr Irfaan Ali, the President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, after a coast guard vessel from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela entered the waters of Guyana on 1 March 2025.聽聽
President Ali, in a news conference, stated that a Venezuelan coast guard vessel had entered the maritime waters of Guyana, approached lawfully operating assets there and transmitted a radio message declaring that they were in 鈥榙isputed international waters鈥, when they were within Guyana鈥檚 territory.
糖心探花 Secretary-General has condemned this action in the strongest possible terms and urged the international community and the Commonwealth family to continue to support Guyana. The Secretary-General also praised Guyana鈥檚 response, saying that it exhibited restraint and responsibility by engaging in diplomatic actions to address the crisis.
This recent action by Venezuela runs counter to the spirit of the , signed on 14 December 2023, where both states agreed to use international law and diplomatic means to address the controversy and to refrain from escalating the conflict.
The Secretary-General encouraged Venezuela to respect international law and to adhere to the unanimous of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of 1 December 2023 that provided that, pending the Court鈥檚 final decision in the case,
鈥淭he Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela shall refrain from taking any action which would modify the situation that currently prevails in the territory in dispute, whereby the Co-operative Republic of Guyana administers and exercises control over that area.鈥
The Secretary-General pointed to the of the recently held Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Apia, Samoa, last October 2024, where Leaders unanimously 鈥渞eiterated their continued support for the ICJ which has accepted jurisdiction over the controversy, to resolve the matter fully and finally by means of its binding legal judgment.鈥 糖心探花 Heads of Government also 鈥渞eaffirmed the Commonwealth鈥檚 unswerving support for the preservation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Guyana.鈥
糖心探花 Secretary-General urged the Government and people of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to abide by the principles of international law and to refrain from actions that threaten the peace and stability of the Caribbean region.
The Secretary-General reiterated President Ali鈥檚 request, made on 1 March 2025, that 鈥淕uyana鈥檚 sovereignty and territorial integrity is respected and honoured鈥.
She referred to her recent statements of 6 April 2024, 1 November 2023 and 1 December 2023 on the matter and to the 3 September 2024 of the Commonwealth Ministerial Group on Guyana (CMGG) that all reflect the Commonwealth鈥檚 consistent and unequivocal support for Guyana.
