Statement by H.E. Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Permanent Representative of Guyana, at the United Nations Security Council Arria Formula Meeting on “Condemning Hostage-Taking in Israel on October 7 as a Psychological Tool of Terrorism"
Madam Chair,
Let me begin by expressing my appreciation to the organizers of today’s meeting for this important initiative and to the briefers for the insightful perspectives and experiences shared. I commiserate with those who have had the harrowing experience of loved ones taken from them – several of whom ultimately lost their lives while arbitrarily deprived of their personal liberty.
The arbitrary deprivation of an individual’s personal liberty is one of the most egregious crimes which itself is a violation of several of an individual’s human rights. This arbitrary deprivation of personal liberty is particularly repulsive because it is an attack on the very dignity of a person as the individual held under these circumstances is often used as a bargaining chip. Guyana stresses the illegality of such actions which are grave breaches of international law, particularly common Article III of the Geneva Conventions.
In this context, Guyana underscores that the taking of hostages by Hamas during the 7 October attacks on Israel was a grave breach of international law. We therefore reiterate the demands of Security Council resolutions 2712, 2720 and 2728 for the unconditional release of all hostages, including children, taken during these attacks. We stress further the imperative of ensuring humanitarian access to these individuals to attend to their medical and other needs. Guyana also emphasizes the obligation of parties to ensure that the remains of anyone who died while being held hostage are handled with dignity and respect.
Madam Chair,
This brings me to three important reflections which I proffer for the meeting’s consideration.
First, as a broader objective, it is important to address the factors driving behaviours such as those witnessed on 7 October. What accounts for this level of radicalization and what can be done to treat with this from a preventive standpoint? In this context, Guyana recalls Member States’ commitment as elaborated in the UN’s Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy to “address the conditions conducive to the spread of terrorism, including but not limited to prolonged unresolved conflicts, dehumanization of victims of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, lack of the rule of law and violations of human rights, ethnic, national and religious discrimination, political exclusion, socio-economic marginalization and lack of good governance, while recognizing that none of these conditions can excuse or justify acts of terrorism.” Efforts to combat terrorism must continue to take these important factors into account.
Second, the Security Council must be visibly active in every situation involving acts of terror, wherever they take place and by whomever they are perpetrated. The Council has the primary mandate for the maintenance of international peace and security and must at all times be impartial in the execution of this mandate. It must therefore be the first to condemn acts of terror as well as the first to demand accountability for such acts. It must also be first to institute measures, in keeping with the scope provided by the UN Charter, to address violations of international law whether these violations feature as the taking of hostages or the administrative detention of innocent civilians.
Third, there must be a collective drive, led by the United Nations, for adherence to the rule of law. There can be no double standards on this point but rather, we must be as true to our obligations as the needle is to the pole. Every conflict of which the Security Council is seized features violations of international law in one form or the other. In several cases, these violations are taking place with no accountability. Accountability, therefore, is how the Council can deter hostage-taking and every other crime that features in armed conflict. And accountability can involve a plethora of measures that target both state and non-state actors to whom these violations are attributable.
Madam Chair,
Allow me to conclude by reiterating the need to bring a definitive end to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict which keeps manifesting in cycle after cycle of violence that produces volumes upon volumes of hurt to both sides. This is the Council’s responsibility – to end the conflict. In the immediate term, our responsibility is to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza; bring home the men, women and children which Hamas took hostage from Israel on 7 October; and provide humanitarian support to those in need to stave off further death, disease and distress.
I thank you.
