At the opening plenary session of the Inter-Guyanas Conference on Tuesday, October 22, Ambassador Harvy Naarendorp, in a stimulating presentation entitled ‘Inter-Guyanas Cooperation: A Mission Impossible?’ lamented the absence of a concerned effort among the scholars of the two countries to caucus on the Border Conflict and high among his five recommendations to the Inter-Guyanas Partnership was the convening of such a grouping to deliberate on the conflict and devise ways and means of arriving at an amicable resolution. The Conference itself has been assessed as a serious meeting of minds on critical issues affecting the future development of the two developing small states. In this respect it would seem that the Conference lived up to its theme, Building Capacities to meet the Emerging Challenges in the Guyanas.

While the Conference was a healthy blend of academics, scholars and Politicians COSHOD was essentially a meeting of politicians and their civil servant advisers with University administrators in attendance. Here the indications are that serious debate on critical issues affecting the health, education and culture of CARICOM Countries occupied centre stage. The indications are as well that the discussion reflected the current levels of concern of, and urgency attached thereto, by member states and their determination to find viable and practical solutions to development issues. The seriousness, maturity and diplomatic niceness, which informed the deliberations were then shattered when the head of the Suriname delegation is alleged to have displayed a map showing the New River Triangle as belonging to Suriname. This has been described variously as political immaturity, poor diplomacy and, or, official arrogance and must have embarrassed senior CARICOM officials, regional delegates, not to mention, the several Guyanese present.

One must not forget as well that this piece of disrespect for sovereignty was taking place at Le Meridian Hotel in our capital city of Georgetown. One must be further reminded that the act was in effect the launching of CARIFESTA VIII scheduled for Suriname in 2003. That we have not heard of the passing of diplomatic notes one way or the other may suggest that the seriousness of the indiscretion is still engaging the attention of the respective governments and diplomatic communities but it must have posed a very serious challenge to the good relations and honourable intentions of our scholars and academics. I am confident that they will rise to the challenge, seeing faux pas as vindication of their determination to engage each other in serious deliberations to help chart a peaceful and productive way forward.

It is also interesting to note that this display of less than good diplomacy was taking place a mere few days before the meeting of the Border Commission in Suriname and in the circumstance must have challenged, to the very limit, the genteel cordiality in which such meetings ought to take place. It is not surprising therefore that we are told that the search for acceptable language has stalled the release of a public statement on the discussions. We are however assured that serious deliberations of very important issues did in fact take place and the statement whenever released will reflect a continued commitment to find a peaceful solution to the issues of good neighbourliness and peaceful co-existence.