GEORGETOWN – President David Granger has called on the international community to work towards establishing a global security system that will provide protection for small states such as Guyana.
Granger who made the comment on the sidelines of the Arab Islamic American Summit in Saudi Arabia on the weekend also said the global partnerships to combat terrorism cannot exclude small states, as conflicts between and within such states, can endanger the peace of all countries.
The President added that small states like Guyana, lacking the means to combat transnational threats, such as terrorism, must be able to rely on the protection afforded through international cooperation, multilateralism and international law. Small states, he noted, lack the capability to effectively combat transnational security threats on their own and also face environmental threats, such as the adverse effects of climate change and natural disasters, which can have implications for their security.
“Terrorist organisations can be extremely resilient. They are becoming diffused and when facing rout in one jurisdiction are shifting their operations to others, including small states. Small states have been known to be recruiting centres for terrorists,” he said.
Granger, who is the current Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), also said the regional body is a willing ally in the “just” war against terrorism and extremism adding that Guyana welcomes the partnerships being forged to combat the global scourge and alluded to the fact that small states must remain integral to all partnerships even as the quest for a more comprehensive global agreement on terrorism is pursued with resolve.
He noted that the Arab-Islamic-American Summit is a bold initiative that seeks new approaches to building effective security partnerships to prepare for, to prevent and to protect citizens from the threat of terrorism and violent extremism.
“Terrorism is an international menace. No state is safe from its reach. It endangers human safety, undermines national security and imperils the future of all peoples. The Arab-Islamic-American Summit is a unique interstate response. It could lay the groundwork for a comprehensive global partnership aimed at making our world a safe, stable and peaceful place,” he said.
To combat this type of extremism, Saudi Arabia, has inaugurated a Global Centre for Combating Extremist Ideology (GCEI), which will promote moderation, compassion and support the dissemination of positive dialogue.
According to Granger this is a “concrete expression of the philosophical approach, which defined the discussions at the Summit”.
“The Cooperative Republic of Guyana welcomes the inauguration of the Global Centre for Combatting Ideological Extremism. Ideologies of extremism require both security and non-security responses. Extremism flourishes where international conflicts persist; is fomented where historic injustices are left untreated; is fostered where people are rendered stateless or are hindered in their right to self-determination and to a homeland; and festers where attempts are made to settle disputes through threats or the use of force,” he said. (CMC)
