Topic: 2024-The Situation in Guyana
Country: Ethiopia
Delegate Name: Shruthilaya Venkatesh Kumar
Committee: Special Political Committee
Topic: The Situation in Guyana
Country: Ethiopia
School: Portage Central High School
The current situation in Guyana recedes in its almost two-hundred-year dispute with Venezuela. Starting in 1841, the Venezuelan Boundary Dispute began, resulting in a conflict over who was given the Essequibo region. Currently, Venezuela claims the region while Guyana controls it. However, the dispute continues since in March of 2024, Venezuela passed a law that designates Essequibo as a new state of Venezuela. It governs the region from Tumeremo. The Supreme Court was given the law to validate its constitutionality. Currently, the solutions I am presenting are negotiation and arbitration which will benefit Venezuela and Guyana as they will reduce conflict and propose a way to split the Essequibo region.
The Venezuelan-Guyana conflict affects the world and various countries’ economies and trade such as Ethiopia. Though Ethiopia is not near Venezuela and Guyana, its ties with both countries will be harmed by border disagreements. The alignment is extremely secure when looking at the statistics of how much Guyana relies on Ethiopia. According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), in 2014 Ethiopia exported $13,200 to Guyana which was not part of the main exports. However, in five years of exporting, the annual rate has increased to 138%. Looking at Guyana, the main products that were exported to Ethiopia were non-knit women’s coats which cost $983. Although Guyana does not have much impact on the global economy, Venezuela has tremendous importance as it supplies the largest oil production in the world.
Additionally, it has large quantities of coal, iron ore, bauxite and gold. BBC News claims that Venezuela has been one of the world’s leading oil exporters, but the country experienced poor economic management at the beginning of the twenty-first century. The country also struggles with increased inflation, shortage of goods, unemployment, and crime. Essequibo is an oil-rich region that helps Venezuela and other countries receive most of their crude oil. The ongoing conflict between Guyana and Venezuela affects both countries as well as other places such as Ethiopia. With Venezuela going through economic difficulties and experiencing an ongoing border dispute with Guyana, the global economy will struggle in terms of oil production and other necessary supplies. Therefore, I propose two solutions to help end the conflict between Venezuela and Guyana.
My first solution is negotiation. According to the Department of Justice Canada, negotiation is a fair way to settle a dispute which results in fair endings for both countries. This method focuses on both sides’ mutual needs, interests, and use of mechanisms. These mechanisms include objective standards, meaning there is a higher likelihood of reaching an agreement that satisfies both countries. For a border conflict, negotiation is a smart option as it gives both countries a chance to claim the land with an equal amount of space that they prefer. Negotiations between countries can help enhance their relationship in the future, which is why this is a good solution that the UN should consider.
The second solution I propose is arbitration, which has a third-party member decide on how to solve the conflict. From what ASL Law Firm says, one of the key advantages of arbitration is flexibility, which means internationally, this method allows parties to choose their arbitrators, language, venue, and applicable law for the process. These proceedings are also confidential, which means most of the country’s secrets or struggles will not be revealed as it could be seen as a weakness. Another reason why this solution should be considered as well is that according to the Giambrone International Law Firm, arbitration provides a greater degree of agreement than mediation or negotiation because a professional arbitrator will eventually come to a reasonable decision in every case.
To conclude, these two solutions are the most considerable solutions to resolve the Venezuelan-Guyana border dispute. Both of these countries are necessary to the world in one way or another, and if they are damaged, that could destroy the global economy, which is why we must take action fast.
Bibliography
ASL Law Firm, “The role of international arbitration in resolving cross-border disputes.”
https://aslgate.com/the-role-of-international-arbitration-in-resolving-cross-border-disputes/
BBC News, “Venezuela Country Profile.”
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-19649648#:~:text=Venezuela%20is%20one%20of%20the,iron%20ore%2C%20bauxite%20and%20gold
Department of Justice Canada, “Dispute Resolution Reference Guide.”
https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/csj-sjc/dprs-sprd/res/drrg-mrrc/03.html#:~:text=By%20focusing%20on%20their%20mutual,Negotiation%20is%20a%20voluntary%20process.
Giambrone International Law Firm, “Advantages of Arbitration in Cross-Border Disputes.”
https://www.giambronelaw.com/site/advice/dispute-resolution/commercial-cross-border-disputes/arbitration-in-cross-border-disputes/#:~:text=Arbitration%20is%20a%20type%20of,decision%20that%20resolves%20the%20conflict
Observatory of Economic Complexity (OEC), “Guyana/Ethiopia.”
https://oec.world/en/profile/bilateral-country/guy/partner/eth
