Statement delivered by Ms. Neishanta Benn, Minister Counsellor, at the Security Council Meeting on “Threats to International Peace and Security” (Ukraine)

Thank You, Mr. President,

I thank USG Nakamitsu for the briefing and note the contributions of Mr. Kovalik. Guyana also welcomes the participation of the Permanent Representative of Ukraine in today’s meeting.

We have now reached nearly twenty-eight months since the start of this war. Twenty-eight months of near-daily bombardment of cities and towns resulting in the killing of at least 11,000 civilians and injury of more than 21,000 others across Ukraine according to OCHA.

The scale of the humanitarian crisis created by this war is deeply alarming with more than 14.6 million Ukrainians – about 40 percent of the population – requiring some form of humanitarian assistance.

Mr. President,

The world is witnessing a proliferation of armed conflicts across multiple continents. Governments are investing unprecedented levels of revenue into soaring military budgets. Where there are legitimate concerns, military spending is prioritized as Governments seek to appease their population that they can defend themselves against existing threats. In other cases, such spending is by the perpetrators of such threats to advance their expansionist and other interests.  In both cases development is adversely affected.

Global military expenditure for 2023 reached $2.4 trillion, representing a 6.8% increase in real terms from 2022 and was reportedly the steepest year-on-year increase since 2009. Meanwhile, the Ukraine Humanitarian Response Plan remains only 27.5% funded.

Legitimate defence concerns notwithstanding, there are many direct and indirect links between military expenditure, and the reduction of available resources for social and economic development. Indeed, the ongoing conflicts have compromised the livelihoods of millions of people and taken us even further away from achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

Guyana therefore calls for the peaceful resolution of disputes and the respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity in keeping with the United Nations Charter.

Guyana further maintains that the only effective means of preventing further escalation or instability in Ukraine and the broader region, is to end this war. We, therefore, call upon the Russian Federation to withdraw its military forces from the internationally recognized territory of Ukraine.

We reiterate the urgent need to find a just and lasting peace through a political and diplomatic process, with the commitment of all parties. Guyana stands ready to contribute to these efforts.

I Thank You.