U.S. House of Rep. Smith’s got the Honest ACT passed, that regulates EPA opportunity to spread information!

“The point of modern propaganda isn’t only to misinform or push an agenda. It is to exhaust your critical thinking, to annihilate truth.”Garry Kasparov

Welcome to the Banana Republic, the United States of America (USA), the Trump Administration has a new golden child and has to stop the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), that has to be silenced. The EPA under Scott Pruitt. The Environment and Climate Change is lie under the Trump regime, that is myth that the environment gets destroyed or worsen by industry or mineral extraction. Still, they have to make sure that the EPA doesn’t explain the environmental regulations without any scientific evidence. It has to be tested and retested the narratives, as the EPA should not question the need for free release of CO2 or any other damaging gas that can worsen the sky, or the after effects of crude-oil pipelines and the damage of soil in the areas after fracking.

Well, take a look at the Lamar Smith proposal that get through and passed in the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday:

To prohibit the Environmental Protection Agency from proposing, finalizing, or disseminating regulations or assessments based upon science that is not transparent or reproducible” (…) “The Administrator shall not propose, finalize, or disseminate a covered action unless all scientific and technical information relied on to support such covered action is” (…) “publicly available online in a manner that is sufficient for independent analysis and substantial reproduction of research results, except that any personally identifiable information, trade secrets, or commercial or financial information obtained from a person and privileged or confidential, shall be redacted prior to public availability” (H.R. 1430, 2017).

Representative Lamar Smith the man behind the bill, who has a magical fascination with silencing and stopping the EPA, as he is from San Antonio, Texas and Republican, surely if somebody would have remembered what sort of greatness, he showed in February:

On Tuesday, Smith held a hearing titled “Making the E.P.A. Great Again.” From the list of witnesses, it was clear that Smith was not, however, interested in improving the E.P.A.—in fact, just the reverse. One of the witnesses was a lobbyist for the coal industry, another a lobbyist for the chemical industry. In a display of hypocrisy so blatant it could have been hilarious, but wasn’t, Smith used his opening statement to rail against “conflicts of interest” at the E.P.A. The agency, he complained, depended on the expertise of scientists to whom it sometimes also awards research grants. His proposed solution to this problem? To stack the E.P.A.’s science advisory board with scientists who work for regulated industries” (Kolbert, 2017).

So Rep. Smith has no issues listening to the Coal, Chemical and Oil industry, if it benefits them at a U.S. House hearing on making EPA great again, like the ones who wants to pollute and drop hazard into the environment for a buck is the ones to listen to. Shows the lack of thinking and integrity that is in the Washington D.C. right now and is accepted by the Trump Administration. Where the businesses are more important nature and the future, where the kids of Trump has to live in wasteland and in narrow future of damaged rivers, creeks and polluted air.

The donors for the 2015-2016 Campaign for the U.S. House Representative for Texas and parts of Committee for Science, Space and Technology, those we’re $95,050 from Oil and Gas, either as PACs or individuals, other important donors for the campaign of Smith we’re Nustar Energy, AT&T, Boeing Co., Koch Industries and Marathon Petroleum (Check Opensecrets.org).

So, the man who has massive support for his elections and campaigns was supported through business who needs to extract their resources and has to pollute to do so. It could seem that they scratched an itch for the Representative and when he was elected he scratched an itch for them. Instead of direct brown envelopes directly into the pocket of the representative, they paid for his campaign and his viable campaign in Texas.

Now that he has a place on the Committee for Science, Space and Technology, there he can change legislation that fits Nustar, AT&T, Boeing Co., Koch Industries and Marathon Petroleum, as they will not have any sort of information that cannot be verified by generous study. They have been silenced and cannot question climate change or even the implication of pollution or environmental damages by industry, as the Honest ACT, who is made to stop certain information from getting into public.

So it it good to know that the EPA sentiment is old:

But I don’t know whether Americans want the EPA and Congress to be honest. You say, “What do you mean, Williams?” There are numerous laws, restrictions and regulations based upon the EPA’s fraudulent report on secondhand tobacco smoke. How many Americans do you think would say, “Hey, now that we know that EPA 1992 report was a fraud, let’s repeal all those laws and regulations based upon it”? I’m guessing most would say, “I don’t like the smell of cigarettes and if it takes government fraud and duping the public to get rid of it, so be it.” (Williams, 1999).

So there are surely many who has hard feelings against the EPA and their practices, but they should still wonder if it is wise to stop the EPA. They might get wealth to buy cars, but nature is not something that returns after you have used it and extracted the minerals. There are so many places destroyed by industry and not habitable, so much touched nature that will not come back after oil industry and other industry has used their tools. Together with the knowledge of pollution, there are invisible particles that might hurt mother nature on the long run, but that doesn’t Scott Pruitt, Donald Trump or Lamar Smith. Peace.

Reference:

Kolbert, Elizabeth – ‘THE CONGRESSMAN WHO’S TRYING TO MAKE THE ENVIRONMENT WORSE, AGAIN’ (08.03.2017) link: http://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/the-congressman-whos-trying-to-make-the-environment-worse-again

U.S. House of Representatives: H. R. 1430 – ‘Honest and Open New EPA Science Treatment Act of 2017’ or Honest ACT (29.03.2017)

Williams, Walter – ‘Do Americans want honest EPA?’ (09.06.1999) link: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/701389/Do-Americans-want-honest-EPA.html

IGAD: Nairobi Declaration on Durable Solutions for Somali Refugees and Reintegration of Returnees in Somalia (25.03.2017)

 

Leaked U.S. Concept Note describes the wished changes in the UN Peacekeeping Operation Missions!

The United States delegation to the United Nations have leaked a document on planned discussion for the United Nations Security Council that are to be commenced in next month (April 2017). These notes are clearly setting the course and wish for the goals and ambition of the discussion in the UNSC. This concept note is supposed to be a Peacekeeping Operation Review. That would lead to certain decisions by the Member States and the Council Members.

The reason why the United States delegation to the UNSC about the Peacekeeping operation:

As of January 31, 2017, there were 99,034 uniformed personnel – including 85,408 troops and 12,786 police – serving in the 16 peacekeeping operations overseen by the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, with an approved budget of $7.87 billion. UN peacekeeping is a vital aspect of the organization. However, a significant number of PKOs have mandates conceived years – in some cases decades – ago that are no longer supported by a political environment conducive to achieving the Council’s aims. It is crucial that missions contribute to increased safety and security, but they can also create a subsidized and unsteady peace that can quickly become a dependency that discourages long-term solutions. The UN becomes trapped in these frozen conflicts and peacekeeping missions that were initially conceived to provide temporary security to allow space for political solutions to take hold instead deploy for years without clear mandates or exit plans”.

Because of the cost, the longevity of the peacekeeping operations as they are creating a vacuum between the government hosts, the peacekeeping mission and the hostile forces. This is a consuming and makes it hard to generate any sort of sustainable peace, as the peacekeepers keeps a buffer and stops the need for a strong foundation of central government and their own security forces. They can always trust on the Blue Helmets to appear when needed and serve the citizens.

The United States has certainly ideas as this is their core idea for the discussion in the UNSC: “We encourage Council Members to consider whether current peacekeeping operations continue to be the best suited mechanisms for meeting the needs of those on the ground and achieving the Council’s political objectives, or if changes are needed”. So the US Mission to the UN wants the Peacekeeping Operations to achieve the political objectives and not be a stalemate operation that keeps the upkeep of unstability and uncertainty in the host nation. That is certainly a noble quest, but with that the UN Peacekeepers need to revise their missions, their mandate and their will of force, as their peacekeeping missions has been done in such diplomatic ways.

The United States delegates outcome of the review:

While no product is envisioned, we encourage the Council to apply the lessons and methods discussed in this meeting to our regular mandate review process to ensure that conditions still justify the missions and that political processes conceivably lead towards realistic, achievable solutions”.

That this is a quest and wishful thinking for the US mission, the United Nation needs votes and make sure the Members would strike agreement on the possible idea of changing the Peacekeeping Operations. The Blue Helmets are clearly on the loosing end of the stick, as their missions are not seen as fruitful, more like a costly operations not creating the effect and stage the peaceful transition in the host nations.

The UNSC and the Members should be hopeful to change the political climate and use the force to create the peace they are to make. If they weren’t peacekeepers than they wouldn’t be an issue, as if they we’re regular army on a territory, they should keep their citizens safe and the borders. The Peacekeepers has a mandate and mission, still they haven’t always been able to comply with that. Also, they have obligations not only to the United Nations, but to the host nations regime. Therefore, if the UNSC wants a bigger mission or extend their mandate, they still have to negotiate with the host nations.

The US Mission and the UNSC have to work on it and it is about time, as the AMISOM, MUNISCO, UNAMID, UNMISS and MINUSMA, who all should need a change of mandate and level of force if they should be properly creating the peace and make way for the central government. Peace.

CERF approves $22 million loan to further scale up FAO action to prevent famine in Somalia (21.03.2017)

The funds will allow for increased livelihoods support to rural communities affected by repeated drought.

ROME, Italy, March 21, 2017 -FAO is further scaling up its  activities in drought affected regions of Somalia thanks to a $22 million loan approved this week by the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), which complements the loans already provided by FAO’s Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitation Activities.

This effort is part of the international response to prevent another famine in Somalia five years after the previous one devastated the country. FAO’s action aims to increase rural livelihood support and restore food production, while ensuring that families meet their immediate food and water needs.

Across Somalia, 6.2 million people will face acute food insecurity through June 2017. Of these, nearly 3 million people are in Phases 3 (crisis) and 4 (emergency) of the five-phase International Phase Classification for Food Security (IPC). This represents more than a two-fold  increase compared to six months ago. Phase 5 is famine.

The head of the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Under-Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O’Brien, said he was releasing the loan from CERF to FAO “as part of the efforts to avert a humanitarian catastrophe in Somalia.”

“More than 2.9 million people are at risk of famine and many will predictably die from hunger if we do not act now. CERF is one of the fastest ways to enable urgent response to people most in need. FAO is a key partner in ensuring that crucial support to livelihoods is reaching affected people. The loan will bridge a crucial gap and allow FAO to immediately save lives and livelihoods of farmers and herders until additional funds from donors are received,” O’Brien said.

“CERF has long been a supporter of FAO’s interventions to save and protect livelihoods and thus lives in crisis contexts. Livelihoods are people’s best defence against famine and this $22 million loan is critical to FAO’s famine prevention and drought response in Somalia, enabling the Organization to provide much-needed, rapid support to vulnerable rural households,” said FAO Deputy Director-General for Programmes, Daniel Gustafson.

Saving livelihoods, saving lives

Most of the 6.2 million people facing  acute food insecurity live in Somalia’s  rural areas where hunger levels have spiked primarily due to losses in crop and livestock production and other sources of food and income caused by repeated droughts.

Early warnings are loud and clear: In a worst-case scenario where the traditionally, main rainy season, the  Gu (April-June), will perform very poorly, purchasing power may further decline to levels seen in 2010/2011, and humanitarian assistance would not be able to reach populations in need, people may  suffer/face famine.

FAO’s work

FAO is scaling up the implementation of its Famine Prevention and Drought Response Plan, which combines lifesaving interventions with emergency livelihood support to address the distinct needs of rural people at risk across Somalia – a twin track approach that provides immediate assistance while offering livelihood support and income opportunities to reduce their dependency on humanitarian aid.

Measures implemented under the Response Plan include providing cash (cash-for-work and unconditional cash transfers), meeting immediate food and water needs; providing agriculture and fisheries based livelihood support in combination with cash (“Cash+”), and saving livestock assets and related food and income.

The loan from CERF complements FAO’s own funding mechanism, the Special Fund for Emergency and Rehabilitation Activities, and will help kick start operations supported by the Governments of the United States of America and the United Kingdom.

Nepotism102: Family Matters – Jared Kushner and Ivanka’s role in the White House!

It is only with the development of political institutions like the modern state that humans begin to organize themselves and learn to cooperate in a manner that transcends friends and family. When such institutions break down, we revert to patronage and nepotism as a default form of sociability.”

Francis Fukuyama

Well, President Donald J. Trump cannot handle being ordinary or being honest. He has to lie and deceive, it is in his nature and his past. Therefore, he can like a buffoon blaming the Clinton for having a private e-mail server, while he has sensitive information and such on an android. So, it is not like the President himself is a careful as he should be. Not that he really cares. He never cared about anything else than his own bloated image.

President Trump, the so-called Conservative Republican, has gone and done a few unthinkable things. First he used his sons and oldest daughter as part of the transition team, as well as the sons of Vice-President Mike Pence and later hired Security Official Mike Flynn, who was all part of the team! Well, for Donald that is not enough, his bar for nepotism isn’t big-wig enough.

His little trust in other people and his own judgment was so weak he had to have his son-in-law Jared Kushner and daughter Ivanka Trump at the meeting of the Japanese Prime Minister Shino Abe. As the New York Times wrote: “After Mr. Trump’s transition office was asked by The New York Times about allowing Ms. Trump to attend the meeting with the Japanese prime minister, an individual close to the family, who said she did not have authorization to provide her name, hinted that Ms. Trump would not be attending meetings like this in the future” (…) “Mr. Trump has always encouraged Ivanka and his children to attend meetings with him,” the person close to the family said. “This meeting in question was very informal. However, they obviously need to adjust to the new realities at hand, which they will” (Lipton, 2016).

Still, this has not stopped the family matters to become State matters. Something that should worry the world and Americans, as the entangled and the inter-state affairs colluding with personal business, can likely happen. Since the Trump family doesn’t care about ethics or general conduct as long as the striving companies they are running is gaining profits.

In January the Son-in-Law was hired by the President to an advisory role:

Mr. Kushner has been described by numerous transition staff members as the first among equals in Mr. Trump’s high command. His new title belies the sweeping influence he will have behind the scenes” (…) “The soft-spoken Mr. Kushner has often been described as having a calming effect on Mr. Trump, who is notorious for yelling at staff members during moments of tension. Mr. Kushner became the de facto campaign manager in the spring, and his influence with Mr. Trump has expanded rapidly” (Thrush & Haberman, 2017).

So after being in the campaign team, being in the consultation meetings with foreign leaders, the couple was part of the leadership. Still, only the son-in-law got a title and office inside the White House. That should be bringing enough family matters into the hollow chambers. That Jared Kushner becomes on the same level as others and created a role around the President proves the critical problems with this appointment. It would be if Vice-President Mike Pence hired his son as a staff member and an under the office of Vice President.

So if that was enough when the Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau visited the White house in February 2017, into the second month of the Trump Presidency. So this was written about the event days ahead:

In this Feb. 1, 2017, file photo, President Donald Trump, accompanied by his daughter Ivanka, waves as they walk to board Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. According to officials, Ivanka Trump, who has been a vocal advocate for policies benefiting working women, was involved in recruiting participants for a round table discussion that will be held Monday, Feb. 13, about women in the workforce. President Donald Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will participate in the round table” (Vucci, 2017). The pictures of this round-table debate that went viral, was of this one where Ivanka Trump was participating with the foreign Prime Minister. This shows the lack of integrity in the new Administration, but Trump will continue.

Just as the March month arrives and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel came to visit the White House, Ivanka Trump got “work training” as she participated in another state visit for her father without official clearance or jurisdiction, as the procedure and protocol of state doesn’t matter to this President. He thinks his position is all family. If Barrack Obama had hired or had his wife in closed door meetings with foreign leaders; he would have cause havoc and storm, but President Trump is allowed to do this without to much fuzz, except for dress-code and how people looks at Ivanka.

In the end, Angela Merkel couldn’t hide it. Seated next to Ivanka Trump at a White House meeting with business leaders on Friday, the German leader tilted her head in the first daughter’s direction as Ivanka spoke, a look of bewilderment tinged with disdain enveloping her face” (…) “Why are you here,” Merkel, never a good pretender, seemed to be thinking” (Karinitsching, 2017). Everybody should understand Merkel, not like Ivanka is a serious politician or civil servants, she is daddy’s favorite daughter. That is known for the world and not disgraceful to say.

That this isn’t enough? Well, for Trump and Trump Administration the Nepotism has to be in Authoritarian leadership worthy, not only at meeting and being beside the President, also appointed, as the daughter haven’t been appointed like the husband Jared Kushner. Still, she has been a key player in the rooms of foreign affairs and foreign policy. Because of the level that President Trump has in her. Still, that she gets a place before career officials and others who has done this as their profession, show’s the lack of understand of what State work and how diplomacy works.

So that the news today that Ivanka get clearance to sensitive and confidential information, as well as a office inside the White House without being appointed proves the Nepotism. Surely, soon could Eric Trump and Donald Trump Junior even get hired by their father inside the White House. As well as Tiffany Trump could be spokesperson for the father instead of Kellyanne Conway. That is just the next step.

Ivanka Trump will have her own office in the West Wing of the White House that comes with a security clearance for classified information, although she will not have an official title, according to a White House official” (…) “Trump will still comply with the ethics rules for government appointees though, even if she technically isn’t one, Trump’s attorney Jamie Gorelick told the Associated Press” (Abramson, 2017). So the family lawyer have dropped the news to the AP and therefore verified the news yesterday.

The family lawyer Gorelick, who has addressed the Trump Organization and other close connected businesses of the family. Therefore, that he did do it proves the capacity and the levels of family matters instead of skills or career.

That President Trump hires Ivanka and Jared inside the White House. Donald, doesn’t care about the legal or ethical perspective, nor about the jurisdiction of state or even common sense. Even as protocol or even justification of this entangled between the family and the Executive. That this could be done inside the Trump Organization is more reasonable and understandable, as the Private Business and Corporate policies are different, than how a State and Government supposed to work.

President Trump deserves to be sanctioned for this, as this words should be key:

The key for the White House will be to ensure not just that they recruit the best people for the top job at an agency, but to make sure that agency leaders are viewed as a team rather than individuals. The secretary, deputy secretary, chief of staff and other top agency leaders should all complement each other in terms of both expertise and personality. For example, if the secretary is someone who is most comfortable acting as the “face” of an agency and policy agenda, then the deputy secretary should be the one to manage the agency on a day-to-day basis as the chief operating officer. Keeping this in mind when making specific appointments will help build a cohesive, well-functioning unit that will provide effective, unified leadership at the agency” (Center of Presidential Transition – ‘Presidential Transition Guide’ P: 74, 2016).

So, President Trump thinks more individuals and family, more than protocol and the ethical perspective of how he is involving the family into state affairs. That the State becomes mixed with family is not a trait of the United States, but now the Trump Organization and Trump Administration is closer than before. If and when there will be more scandals, more nepotism and misuse of the power… will come, but when is only about question of time. Peace.

Reference:

Abramson, Alana – ‘ Ivanka Trump Will Have West Wing Office, But No Official Title’ (20.03.2017) link: http://fortune.com/2017/03/20/ivanka-trump-west-wing-office/

Karinitschinig, Matthew – ‘Merkel’s Ivanka moment’ (18.03.2017) link: http://www.politico.eu/article/merkels-ivanka-moment/

Lipton, Eric – ‘Ivanka Trump’s Presence at Meeting With Japan’s Leader Raises Questions’ (18.11.2016) link: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/19/us/politics/ivanka-trump-shinzo-abe.html?_r=0

Thrush, Glenn & Haberman, Maggie – ‘Jared Kushner Named Senior White House Adviser to Donald Trump’ (09.01.2017) link: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/09/us/jared-kushner-senior-adviser-white-house-trump.html

Vucci, Evan – ‘Trump, Trudeau to discuss women in workforce’ (12.02.2017) link: http://www.am1250theanswer.com/news/politics/trump-trudeau-to-discuss-women-in-workforce

Opinion: Eric Trump are right, under the Trump Administration, the US is becoming a “Third World State”!

It’s really sad that we’re in an environment where tax returns are leaked by whoever it may be” (…) “Just think about it. Think about how dangerous that is, how third world that is on a practice that happened. When personal information is put out by people for political agendas. As a civilian, it’s actually scaryEric Trump on Fox News (Tani, 2017).

It is just one of these days where the sons of President Donald Trump speaks their mind and hits the nail. The nail is in the coffin, with the knowledge of the plans to make the republic less attractive, less business-friendly, more lassiez-faire and more focused on army than on progressive financial instruments and regulation to create growth. Trump Administration is busy with deporting millions, building a wall and starting trade-wars. The U.S. Government does not need to be transparent or accountable while doing so. Especially, not in the minds of one of his sons. That claims something unique and special. I have claimed in the near past that under President Trump, the U.S. Government could turn the Republic into a Banana Republic, a sort of style government that could be described by others as a third world one. Therefore, let the dictionary explain that!

Eric Trump needs a definition of the Third World:

1: a group of nations especially in Africa and Asia not aligned with either the Communist or the non-Communist blocs” (…) “2: an aggregate of minority groups within a larger predominant culture” (…) “3: the aggregate of the underdeveloped nations of the world” (Merriam-Webster).

So the United States can itself soon be fitted, not that it is an Asian or African nation, neither Communist, but still it is getting underdeveloped by the way the financial framework and industry is set-up under the Trump Administration. Where the Industry and Financial industry has the Administration by the balls and no eager of taking care of nature or the resources, except for eating the profits without giving anything back to the Republic. Just like the Oil Industry in Nigeria or in Ghana. The same as the mining and mineral industry in the Democratic Republic of Congo. So the United States under President Trump, will be similar. Eric Trump is not so far off, just not the way he thought he would be.

Another man’s vision:

This brings about complete dysfunction. It makes everything — economy, politics, roads, bridges, police, school — broken and shitty. Those who can leave do. Making it worse. This leads to more extremism, and more corruption, and more cynicism. And sometimes extreme violence. Because the other side becomes evil” (…) “The US has been shifting towards all four of these over the last 30 years, with inequality leading the way. We are more divided, economically and socially, then we have ever been (we are less divided racially. But only marginally so.)” (Arnade, 2016).

So when you have a system on the brink of collapse, a wealthy elite eating of the government plate and settling score to not pay their bills to the public, while the citizens and middle-class cannot build a steady life or afforded needed services, you know there are something wrong with the system and the state. That makes the Eric Trump words so right, that United States is becoming more like a third world country, with a sophisticated army, but cannot afford health care, schools or infrastructure. Just like the countries President Trump doesn’t want to affiliate with or been seen with. Since him and his advisor Bannon are supposed to be superior, and like a dictator in a Third World country, he believes he is always right and isn’t wrong.

So one smudge of evidence of his fathers Tax Returns from 2005 leaked to MSNBC Rachel Maddow, proves the realization of the state, that the Trump Administration would dislike. As they are not capping the debt, neither taking into account their ideas of taxation and tax-releases, as much as their will to deregularte industry and financial institutions. Therefore, leading the space of more expenses and negative environmental policies, that damage earth and only gains profit for a slim elite. Just like a Third World Country.

This is degrading for the United States, but the harsh truth, the ideas and policies in the making, the killing of health insurance, the idea of building the giant nuclear silos, while not paying for food for the starving. Proves that the U.S. Government are no closer to countries it does not want to be affiliated with, but still can be consider to be assimilated with. President Trump and his administration is clearly not wishing to be differing from chauvinistically taking charge and not caring what effect it has. Clearly, it is only his image that matter, just like any big-man and authoritarian leader.

So, soon we can say that the United States is underdeveloped and need aid, as their waters are daft, the industry is lacking technology, the roads are more potholes than tarmac, the bridges are weak, their railways not working and often not trusted. The United States has soon more expensive foreign imported goods, than what they produce and is losing money on their export of cash crops as soya and other grain. Therefore, President Trump leading his Republic to become underdeveloped or become a Third World Country.

Reference:

Arnade, Chris – ‘USA: A Third World Country in the making’ (05.10.2016) link: https://medium.com/@Chris_arnade/usa-a-third-world-county-in-the-making-14064ea5c534#.ah2gi0loi

Tani, Maxwell – ‘Eric Trump blasts Trump’s tax return leak on Maddow: ‘Think about how dangerous…how third world that is’ (19.03.2017) link: http://nordic.businessinsider.com/eric-trump-tax-return-leak-maddow-third-world-2017-3?

Merriam-Webster – ‘third world’ link: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/third%20world

Guyana: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has condemned reports carried in Venezuelan press regarding the approval of a new resolution approved by the Energy and Petroleum Commission of the Venezuelan National Assembly (19.03.2017)

It has come to the attention of the Government of Guyana through a media report in the Venezuelan publication El Nacional of 15th March 2017 that a resolution of the Energy and Petroleum Commission of the National Assembly of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela entitled ‘Approved Agreement to Reject Oil Operations in the Essequibo’ has called for the immediate cessation of on-going offshore oil exploration and exploitation activities under Guyanese license in the Stabroek concession block well within the maritime Exclusive Economic Zone of Guyana in accordance with international law. So far as the Government of Guyana is aware, the Government of Venezuela has not adopted or otherwise endorsed the resolution, in which case the Government of Guyana would respond as appropriate.

The inflammatory resolution contains serious factual and legal errors. First, it suggests erroneously that the offshore activities in Guyanese waters have “recently” commenced whereas the Stabroek license was awarded in 1999 and exploration commenced the following year in 2000, 17 years ago. Second, it suggests erroneously that Guyana is prohibited from developing its resources in this area because of Article V of the Geneva Agreement of 1966. But nothing whatsoever in the terms of that provision indicates that the parties cannot exercise jurisdiction over their sovereign territories. Otherwise, it would mean that for the past fifty years, Guyana had no right to develop 70% of its territory, and the same applies to Venezuela’s development of the Orinoco region and adjacent maritime area which, like the Essequibo, was the subject of the 1899 Arbitral Award. Needless to say, such an argument is manifestly absurd.

This political posturing comes at an unfortunate time when the UN Secretary-General has appointed Ambassador Dag Nylander as his Personal Representative to provide Guyana and Venezuela a final opportunity to resort to the Good Offices process in order to resolve the controversy arising from Venezuela’s contention that the 1899 Arbitral Award delimiting the land boundary between Guyana and Venezuela is “null and void”. The parties have until the end of 2017 to make significant progress in arriving at a final resolution of the controversy failing which the Secretary-General will refer the matter to the International Court of Justice. Guyana is fully committed to the search for a full and final resolution of the controversy under the Good Offices process in the limited time that remains. Such deliberate provocations and absurd demands that Guyana halt all development activities, especially when for over fifty years Venezuela has intimidated Guyana and obstructed a resolution of the controversy in accordance with international law, only serve to undermine this final opportunity for the parties to once and for all bring an end to this matter by agreement, failing which adjudication will be the only remaining means of settlement.

Guyana remains committed to friendly and neighbourly relations with the Government and people of Venezuela, but it will categorically refuse to surrender any of the sovereign rights to which it is entitled under international law, not least in this, the fifty-first anniversary of its independence from colonial rule, as a new period of prosperity awaits its people.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
March 17, 2017

Press and Publicity Unit
Ministry of the Presidency

U.S.: AG Sessions and DHS Secretary Kelly letter argues for the ‘Muslim Ban’ (06.03.2017)

Statement by U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara after AG Sessions sacked him (11.03.2017)