UNITED NATIONS, United State (CMC) – Guyana says it is satisfied with the efforts being made by outgoing United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to find a satisfactory solution to the longstanding border dispute between Guyana and Venezuela.

President David Granger, who is due to address the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), told a news conference that he is “satisfied” with the work done so far by the UN Secretary General, who is presiding over his last UNGA.

Despite agreeing to the 1899 Tribunal award to settle the border dispute, Venezuela has in recent times continue to lay claim to Guyana’s territory alleging corruption on the part of the 1899 tribunal which ruled in Guyana’s favour. Venezuela stakes its claims on a death-bed confession of a member of the 1899 tribunal.

“I am satisfied with what the Secretary-General has done; I am not satisfied that the Bolivarian Republic has acted in good faith. It is clear that much more needs to be done by Venezuela if this matter is to be resolved…

“In my experience over the last 50 years I have not seen a Secretary-General so engaged in this matter, he has done everything possible over the last year since first meeting in Bridgetown. I am convinced of his sincerity in trying to bring this matter to closure,” Granger told reporters.

Granger, flanked by Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge, Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Rudolph Michael Ten-Pow and former Commonwealth secretary general, Sir Shridath Ramphal, who has been assisting with the legal and other issues relating to the controversy, said that since the signing of the Geneva Agreement in February 1966, Guyana has abided by all of its provisions.

He said the agreement has given the Secretary General specific responsibilities in the absence of Guyana and Venezuela reaching a mutually accepted position.

He said that the Secretary General is required to choose a course for the peaceful resolution of the controversy.

But he acknowledged that at this point in time however, all other courses of action has been exhausted including the Good Officer’s process, which is why Guyana has recommended that the Secretary-General refer the matter for juridical settlement, which is the only remaining option.

“We waited for 50 years and Guyana’s approach now is to ask the Secretary-General to take the matter forward for a juridical settlement so that we don’t have to wait for 50 more years for a settlement.

“I am very hopeful that this Secretary-General, given his engagement over the last year or more, is going to do something which is going to lead to a favourable outcome,” Granger added.

Greenidge said that Guyana is not prepared to accept anything other than a move to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to bring a permanent resolution to this matter.

“What we will be doing is speaking to the SG for an update as regard his assessment of what has happened since the last time we met and an indication from him on how he proposes to move forward, if not between now and the future then certainly between now and when he demits office,” he said.

But he said that while a clear pronunciation on the course of action to be taken may not come out of this meeting, Guyana fully acknowledges the work of the Secretary-General’s Office in working with both parties to take steps to resolve the matter.