CARICOM Heads of Government are set to meet once more on Thursday, December 14 during a CARICOM Summit hosted by the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves.

This meeting comes at a time when tension has been mounting between Venezuela and Guyana over a long-standing territorial dispute involving the oil-rich Essequibo region that encompasses more than half of Guyana, with both countries claiming ownership of the territory.

Vice-chancellor of The University of the West Indies (UWI), Sir Hilary Beckles, said the summit will reaffirm the role of diplomacy amid conflict.

“This summit will reflect the brilliance of the diplomatic capacity and the seniority of Prime Minister Gonsalves in the affairs of CARICOM and Latin America. The meeting we know will reaffirm the supremacy of the role and function of the diplomacy within the context of conflict,” he said.

He was speaking at a recent UWI Vice-Chancellor’s forum themed ‘Guarding Sovereignty’, where several experts came together to examine the political and legal issues arising from the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy.

“The summit will also suggest the importance to the region of the rule of law and the importance of protecting and respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the cooperative republic of Guyana. CARICOM has consistently celebrated the importance of peaceful co-existence of nation-states and the paramountcy of the rule of law,” Beckles said.

The UWI vice-chancellor further noted that the peace and stability of the region is dependent upon this diplomatic approach and the respect for the recent ruling of the International Court of Justice.