The Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday denied that Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Michael Ten-Pow had resigned.
It was responding to what it said were recent allegations in the local media. It did not identify the media.
A statement issued by the ministry follows:
Statement by the Permanent Mission of Guyana to the United Nations on Guyana’s assumption of the Chairmanship of the G-77 and China
Following its election without pre-conditions to the Chairmanship of the Group of 77 and China by the membership of the Group on 22 November last, the Co-operative Republic of Guyana will be succeeding the State of Palestine as Chair of the Group on 1 January 2020 for a term of one year.
Arrangements for the transition to the new Chair have been progressing smoothly both at the Permanent Mission of Guyana to the United Nations in New York, which is headed by Ambassador Rudolph Michael Ten-Pow, and at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where a secretariat has been established to provide support and oversight for the Chairmanship. Contrary to recent allegations in the local media, Ambassador Ten-Pow has not resigned his post as Permanent Representative to the United Nations and is fully engaged in preparations for the transition.
With 134 member States, the Group of 77 and China is the largest coalition of developing countries in the international system. It serves as a platform for the countries of the South to articulate and promote their collective economic interests and enhance their joint negotiating capacity on all major international economic issues within the United Nations system, as well as to promote South-South cooperation for development. In 2020, the G-77 and China will represent the interests of its members in negotiations on a range of issues on the global development agenda, including climate change, financing for development, and implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The 2030 Agenda includes the Sustainable Development Goals, with which our national development plan, the Green State Development Strategy (GSDS), has been fully aligned. Guyana’s Chairmanship of the G-77 and China in 2020 will also coincide with observances to mark the 75th Anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, the convening of the Third South Summit in Kampala, Uganda, and the commemoration of the Golden Jubilee of the Co-operative Republic.
The election of Guyana to head this coalition of developing countries for the second time (the first was in 1999, some 33 years after Guyana became a Member of the United Nations) is on a par with our election as President of the General Assembly during its 48th session (1993-1994) and as a non-permanent member of the Security Council in 1975-1976 and again in 1982-1983. It reflects our full engagement in the work of the United Nations and is testimony to the standing that Guyana currently enjoys among its peers in the Organization and in the broader international community. The successful mobilization of support for the candidature of Guyana among key members of the G-77 and China will no doubt serve Guyana in good stead. Indeed, a number of development partners have already committed to providing tangible support for Guyana’s Chairmanship.
