President Irfaan Ali has renewed calls for sweeping reforms of the United Nations, including permanent representation for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean on the UN Security Council.
Addressing the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, Ali argued that the Council’s current structure no longer adequately reflects today’s geopolitical landscape.
“We need a Security Council that reflects the geopolitical realities of the 21st century, not the power structures of 1945,” the President said.
The call comes after Guyana served a two-year term as a non-permanent member of the Security Council from 2024 to 2025. UN records confirm Guyana’s most recent stint ended in December 2025.
At present, the Security Council comprises 15 countries — five permanent members and 10 non-permanent members elected for two-year terms. The permanent seats are held by China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Ali used his UN address to argue that institutional reform is necessary at a time when confidence in multilateral cooperation is being tested by conflicts, climate change, inequality and other global challenges.
“The United Nations must not be a monument to the past. It must become an instrument for the future,” he declared.
The President also called for the UN to become more transparent, accountable and responsive, while strengthening the role of the General Assembly, where all member states are represented.
He also pointed to institutional rivalries, competing mandates and the gap between the responsibilities assigned to the UN and the resources available to carry them out.
“This is not the hour to retreat from multilateralism. This is the hour to reclaim and to renew it,” Ali told world leaders.
Rodrigues-Birkett candidacy
The President also linked the need for reform to the selection of the next UN Secretary-General, arguing that meaningful institutional change requires leadership capable of carrying it forward.
Guyana has nominated Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett for the position, with CARICOM Heads of Government formally endorsing her candidacy.
The General Assembly appoints the Secretary-General following a recommendation from the Security Council.
Ali used his address to rally support for Rodrigues-Birkett as Guyana continues to press for changes to the international system and greater representation for developing countries.
