First Lady Arya Ali

Currently leading Guyana's delegation at the 19th Session of the Conference of State Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Conference is being held from 9-11 June 2026, under the theme ‘CRPD at 20: Celebrating and Consolidating Achievements and Shaping the Next Phase of Implementation in a Changing World.’

The delegation comprises Ganesh Singh, Programme Manager, Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities, Mrs. Alicia Jerome-Reece, Special Projects Officer, Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance.

H.E. Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Permanent Representative of Guyana to the United Nations, H.E. Ambassador Trishala Persaud, Deputy Permanent Representative, Marissa Edwards, Minister Counsellor, Stephanie Savory, First Secretary and Abosede Hazlewood, Second Secretary, comprise the team from Guyana’s Permanent Mission to the UN.

From H.E. President Dr. Irfaan Ali:

“Assalamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullahi wa Barakatuh.

Let these words of peace, mercy, and blessing be as morning light upon our nation. To every Guyanese, I extend greetings on this sacred occasion of Eid-ul-Adha. But today, especially, I turn with deepest warmth to my fellow Muslim brothers and sisters, as together we honour the Festival of Sacrifice.

This is the day we remember a story older than time yet fresh as this morning’s prayer. We remember Prophet Ibrahim (peace be upon him), tested by love itself. He was commanded to offer what no father should ever be asked to give—his son Ismail.

And yet, Ibrahim possessed a faith not of trembling doubt, but of tranquil certainty. When he laid his beloved boy upon the altar of submission, his heart was not broken but lifted, for he knew that to obey Allah is to be held by the very Mercy that commands life.

And then, in the moment of ultimate surrender, Allah, the Ever-Gracious, replaced the son with a ram. The sacrifice was accepted—not because blood was shed, but because a soul had truly bowed.

That is the faith to which we are called. We are called to be willing to lay down our pride, our comforts, our possession, and trust that Allah will provide a better way. In our own lives—small or grand—we are summoned to the same obedience. To give when it pains. To forgive when it costs. To serve when no one is watching.

And so Muslims honour Eid ul-Adha with Qurbani: the sacred act of sacrifice and the distribution of this sacrifice to family, neighbours, friends and the needy. For this festival is not a feast behind closed doors. It is a covenant with others, ensuing especially that the needy, the orphan and the forgotten taste the same blessing as the affluent.

The Holy Quran reminds us (76:8-9):

And they give food, despite their love for it, to the needy, the orphan, and the captive, saying, ‘We feed you only for the sake of Allah. We seek from you neither reward nor gratitude.

This year, the crescent moon of Eid rises over Guyana at a moment both sacred and historic. We are observing this holy day in the midst of our celebrations of the nation’s 60th Independence anniversary.

Independence and sacrifice are not separate chapters of our nation’s story—they are the same verse. For what is independence, if not the willingness of a people to sacrifice for freedom. And what is sacrifice, if not the seed of true freedom?

The link between Eid and our own birth as a nation is forged in the fire of giving. Our foreparents gave their sweat, their blood, their tears, their very lives. They resisted, revolted, struggled, laboured, and dreamt of a Guyana where every person could live with dignity.

Our independence was not given; it was sacrificed for. And just as Ibrahim’s willingness to sacrifice was rewarded with mercy and a better way forward, so too has Guyana’s journey been one of struggle, survival, and, now, renewed hope.

Therefore, as we mark 60 years of an independent Guyana, let our freedom be defined by our care for one another. A nation that sacrifices for its most vulnerable citizens is a nation that honours the very spirit of Eid and the legacy of those who won our liberty.

Today, we have the right to contribute as equals in building our nation. That right was secured by sacrifice. Let us honour it by continuing to sacrifice for each other—not only meat, but mercy; not only charity, but justice; not only prayers, but action.
May Allah accept our sacrifices, protect our nation, and bless Guyana with many more decades of peace, progress and prosperity.
Eid Mubarak to all!”

From the first whispers of freedom to sixty years as an independent nation.

Happy 60th Independence Anniversary Guyana.

Today, President Irfaan Ali and I hosted a brunch for all past Presidents still with us, their spouses and other officials at State House. We were also pleased to be joined by Vice President Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang of the Republic of Ghana.

Here are some photos with those who accepted the invitation to the brunch.