Press Releases

Istanbul, Türkiye, April 15, 2026 - Today, Guyana joined Türkiye’s initiative to establish the Group of Parliaments in Support of Palestine. At the Group’s second meeting, Hon. Dr. Vindhya Persaud, M.P., Minister of Human Services and Social Security, presented Guyana’s position at a side meeting during the 152nd Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).

Minister Persaud highlighted Guyana’s long tradition of solidarity with the Palestinian people in their quest to fulfil their inalienable rights to self-determination and internationally recognised territory.

In this regard, she said, “Guyana has consistently called for an end to Israeli occupation and has supported the cause of liberation and justice for the Palestinian people”.

She said, “Guyana observes daily how the ripple effects of conflict in the Middle East affect the world at large, and as such, Guyana has supported numerous UN resolutions mandating peace in the Middle East and the resolution of the Palestinian Question, in particular during our tenure on the United Nations Security Council for the period 2024-2025”.

Minister Persaud further stated, “The Palestinian people, like all peoples everywhere, deserve to live in freedom, peace and dignity. This man-made crisis, particularly after October 7, 2023, has led to one of the World’s worst humanitarian crises and a failure of humanity. We have repeatedly and insistently called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire that upholds UN principles, centres on the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and a permanent and just solution to the question of Palestine.”

She reiterated Guyana’s position regarding a two-state solution to this conflict. She continued that the collapse of basic services and the weaponisation of aid are unimaginable circumstances for modern civilisation. The Palestinian people deserve an end to the brutal occupation that has frustrated the realisation of their aspirations to a higher standard of life.

Minister Persaud made the urgent call for “a substantive surge of humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza, the immediate lifting of Israel’s blockade on Gaza and all restrictions on aid delivery, including the opening of all land routes and allowing the UN and humanitarian partners to operate safely and at scale, in line with humanitarian principles”.

The Minister of Human Services and Social Security, who sits as a Member of the Bureau of Women Parliamentarians of the IPU, took the opportunity to recognise the lives lost in the senseless and protracted conflict, including the more than 100 UN staff members killed in the line of duty.

She recommitted Guyana’s call that member States be guided by the principles of the UN Charter in their conduct of international relations. All States have a moral and legal obligation to operate within the confines of international law, including international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

Minister Persaud said that Guyana will continue to use its influence to support the Palestinian people in their quest for self-determination and dignity, as it has done in the past, as evidenced by our role as a founding member of the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.

The IPU is holding its 152nd Assembly in Turkiye. Guyana’s delegation comprises the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Manzoor Nadir, J.P., M.P.; Hon. Dr. Vindhya Persaud, M.P., Minister of Human Services and Social Security, and Member of the Bureau of Women Parliamentarians of the IPU; Hon. Warren Kwame McCoy, M.P., Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, and Member of the Bureau of Democracy and Human Rights of the IPU; and Dr. Carlleta Charles, Secretary to the Delegation and Parliamentary Executive Officer.

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