GEORGETOWN, Guyana, (DPI) – President of Guyana, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali is advocating a transparent discussion on real changes to improve the international system and address problems with global institutions such as the United Nations (UN).
The president said there is a need for a more equitable world order where international rules apply to everyone, not just powerful countries, arguing that the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and Haiti are exposing deep inequalities.
The president shared his vision on ‘The Rest Is Politics: Leading‘ with host Alastair Campbell on Friday, becoming the first sitting president from the Americas to appear on the UK’s most popular political podcast, which is listened to by millions worldwide.
In their hour-long conversation, president Ali reiterated Guyana’s unequivocal position on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
“We [Guyana] have made our position very clear. Every country has a right to sovereignty, and every country’s sovereignty must be fully respected. I believe that the people of Ukraine and the Ukrainian government deserve to live in their sovereign space.”
Describing the war as a global burden, the president called for urgent de-escalation, arguing that resources being channelled into the conflict could have been used for humanitarian efforts to aid the restoration of democracy. He criticised the inconsistency in how the world responds to different crises, noting the extensive support for Ukraine compared to the long-term neglect of Haiti.
“The fact that Haiti is one of the only countries that paid for its independence. People will rightfully ask the question, Are we living in two different worlds or are there two different standards that are governing the global policy-making environment?” he stated.
When asked whether the United Nations is capable of addressing these crises, president Ali was blunt. “The UN is unable to meet its mandate,’ he said emphatically.
“We always look to make the system seem as if it’s functioning… by always picking the low-hanging fruit but the tree might be rotting from the root,” he said.
President Ali said that the UN creates many reports but takes little action. The lack of compliance with UN decisions and the power of a few countries make many developing nations feel ignored.
“The system cannot be hijacked. Many leaders in the developing world are of the view that the United Nations system is hijacked. There can’t be different systems of reporting for different countries or different regions. There must be a common system through which everyone is held accountable,” he said.
Addressing the genocide that is taking place in Gaza, the president said “There is only one solution. That’s a two-state solution… we believe that it’s through dialogue, discussions, negotiation, and the international community must take a principled position and act on those positions.”
The answers to addressing this level of disparity lie in reform of the multilateral system and the expansion of the Security Council, president Ali said. He called for honest dialogue and a willingness to tackle foundational issues rather than superficial ones.
“The way you fix this problem is by frank conversation, accepting that the system is failing and accepting that there is a need for reform and what areas of reform are critical.”
Without confronting these systemic problems head-on, he warned, reforms will remain cosmetic and global institutions will continue to lose credibility.
