PRESS RELEASE
Guyana’s participation in the High- Level Meeting to Commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Non- Aligned Movement in Belgrade, Serbia on October 11th & 12th, 2021
A Guyana delegation led by the Honourable Joseph Hamilton, Minister of Labour, participated in the High- Level Meeting to Commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Non- Aligned Movement (NAM), convened in Belgrade, Serbia, on October 11th and 12th, 2021. The Honourable Minister was accompanied by officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation including Ambassador Elisabeth Harper, Permanent Secretary, Ambassador Michael Brotherson, Director of the Bilateral Affairs Department, and Ms. Sondra Cheong, Foreign Service Officer III.
Minister Hamilton in his statement to the meeting, reflected on the role Guyana played in the early stages of the Movement through the hosting of the historic Non- Aligned Conference of Foreign Ministers in 1972, which led to the Georgetown Declaration and the Programme for Economic Cooperation and the Fourth Summit in Algiers. The Minister also highlighted the ability of the Movement to rise above differences and presenting a model of cooperation and principled solidarity among nations as one of its greatest achievements and one which exemplified the true spirit of the United Nations Charter.
The Minister further emphasized that the Bandung Principles on which the Movement is founded remains a guide for developing countries to promote peace and cooperation in the world. It is within this context that Minister Hamilton underscored the importance Guyana attaches to the principle of respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. In closing, the Minister called on countries of the South to stand in solidarity to effectively confront developmental challenges.
During the meeting, participating delegations elaborated on the relevance and importance of the Movement in mobilizing global efforts in the spirit of multilateralism, to overcome new and emerging challenges such as the unequal distribution of COVID- 19 vaccines, climate change, achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, unilateral coercive measures against some of its members and the right to self-determination of the Palestine people.
Guyana became the Member State of NAM in 1970 and has been an active participant since. Upon the opening of the Conference of the NAM Foreign Ministers Meeting in August 1972, the late President Arthur Chung, unveiled the Non-Aligned Monument to honor the founding fathers of NAM which is located on Avenue of the Republic, in Georgetown.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
October 13, 2021
