Guyana’s Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Senior Counsel Anil Nandlall, has asked the Inter- Parliamentary Union to condemn the actions of Venezuela in relation to Guyana’s Essequibo region, and demand that Venezuela respects the legal process of the International Court of Justice.
Attorney General Nandlall who is attending the 147th meeting of the IPU in Angola, told the meeting that time is of the essence and that the international community must raise its voice against Venezuela’s aggression.
“Much have been said about the war in Ukraine, the conflict in Gaza and conflicts elsewhere. However, I wish to place on the record, a situation which is evolving in my country, Guyana, where the Republic of Venezuela proposes to pass a referendum in that country on the 3rd of December, 2023, seeking to annex to Venezuela, more than two thirds of Guyana’s sovereign territory. This reckless and unlawful move is intended to further Venezuela’s baseless claim to Guyana’s territory – a dispute long settled by Arbitration in 1899. Venezuela perseveres with this illegal conduct despite that this issue is pending between the two States at the International Court of Justice upon the direction of the UN Secretary General, Mr. Nandlall told the IPU.
The Attorney General said Venezuela’s actions not only undermine public institutions, but also engenders conflict and violates the very thematic fundamentals of the IPU conference.
“In the circumstances I call upon the IPU to condemn the actions of the Republic of Venezuela and demand that Venezuela respects the legal process of the International Court of Justice. Time is of the essence,” Mr. Nandlall noted.
Nandlall told the IPU that nation states must comply with International Law, Agreements and Conventions, and must be bound by decisions and processes of international organisations such as the United Nations (UN) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Any deviation, he said, is contrary to world peace, which all nations must seek to achieve.
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