UN takes no immediate action at emergency meeting on Guyana-Venezuela dispute over oil-rich region

The United Nations Security Council took no immediate action at a closed emergency meeting requested by Guyana following Venezuela’s recent referendum claiming the vast oil- and mineral-rich Essequibo region that makes up a large part of its neighbor. But diplomats said the widespread view of the 15 council members was that the international law needs to be respected. That includes the U.N. Charter’s requirement that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of every nation be respected — and for the parties to respect the International Court of Justice’s orders and its role as an arbiter. In a letter to the Security Council president requesting the emergency meeting, Guyana's foreign minister accused Venezuela of violating the U.N. Charter by attempting to take its territory.