Topic: 2024-The Situation in Guyana
Country: Tunisia
Delegate Name: Devon Willis
From Ukraine and Russia, to China, and India, to Palestine and Israel many countries have faced border disputes for many different reasons. One of these territorial disputes that has been getting less attention throughout the world is the situation going on between Guyana and Venezuela. Guyana has access to the Essequibo region which has recently been discovered to have rich oil reserves, both of these countries are in deep need of the economic opportunities that a new source of oil could present, hence why Venezuela is calling upon the vague framework of the Geneva Agreement of 1966, and the previous rough border lines of 1814 treaty between the Dutch and British on Venezuelan borders which later led to the carving out of 30,000 square miles for Guyana, these consistent border disagreements have led to current terms in which both countries agreed that Guyuna would have the Essequibo region but tensions have since flourished and Guyuna has filed for proceedings in the International Court against Venezuela for the disputes in 2018.
As the Republic of Tunisia we have developed mutual relations with Venezuela in recent years, for example, we had a meeting in June of 2023 between the Minister of Venezuelan and African Foreign Affairs and Tunisia’s Social Affairs Minister. Tunisia is looking to maintain these relations with Venezuela and though do understand Guyuna’s point of view in some capacity, we are inclined towards the needs and callings of the impoverished petroleum nation of Venezuela, who in 2022 had their petroleum makeup to somewhere around 75% of total exports. We believe that the discovery of oil-rich reserves in the Essequibo region calls for an updated and profound discussion on where state borders should lay.
The Tunisian Republic acknowledges that the overwhelming factor for this border dispute is clearly based on the recent discovery of oil reserves in the region. Both nations who were virtually at rest about the region, whether they agreed with the decision in its entirety or not, have attempted to move forward but have had severe economic hardships as of late, especially Venezuela who has been dealing with many socio-economic and civil rights related issues, along with many medical/health related issues raveging throughout the country. Now both nations have to try and cooperate on this border, while also trying to gain an extremely desirable source that could make the economic change to help turn their country around. We aren’t looking for just one beneficiary of this situation, both nations should attempt to come to a permanent resolution that will allow for economic growth for both nations.
The Republic of Tunisia believes that as made clear in the 1966 Geneva Agreement, further discussions regarding the Essequibo region must take place; we do not wish for the annexation that is currently taking place to become violent or in any way hostile for either nation. We hope for a quick resolution and for the needs of each country to be heard and the economic and social state of both nations to be recognized as an important factor. Tunisia calls on the nations within the U.N. specifically calling to the U.K. who had originally had a place within the Geneva Agreement to help aid in the reintroductions of an official and mutual decision to be made about the territory where both nations can be of some benefit economically.
Sources: https://dppa.un.org/en/mission/border-controversy-between-guyana-and-venezuela
https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2020/09/the-volatile-tunisia-libya-border-between-tunisias-security-policy-and-libyas-militia-factions?lang=en¢er=middle-east
https://www.social.gov.tn/en/scaling-cooperation-between-tunisia-and-venezuela-social-field
https://www.lloydsbanktrade.com/en/market-potential/venezuela/trade-profile#:~:text=The%20country’s%20economy%20strongly%20depends,1.6%25%20(data%20WTO).
https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/venezuela/
