Rowley leads team to UN general assembly

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley will lead a ministerial team to the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Rowley provided the update while speaking during Thursday’s Post-Cabinet Media Briefing at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann’s.

The team will include the Minister of Health Terrence Deyalsingh, Planning and Development Minister Pennelope Beckles, and Minister of Foreign and Caricom Affairs Dr Amery Browne.

TT diplomat Dennis Francis has been appointed the President of the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Rowley described TT’s chairing of the United Nations general assembly as a “huge diplomatic success” and said it should instil pride in citizens.

“We put our candidate out and we were confident we could get rest of world to agree and support us. It was better than we expected. We thought we would have had to fight for it and we were ready for the fight but in the end we got it unanimously.”

He added, “It is one of the biggest diplomatic success we have ever had and it not to be taken lightly.”

Rowley said give the size of TT, the scale of the accomplishment should not be ignored.

He said discussions will be held at the assembly about how countries deal with the next pandemic.

“The bacchanal has already started on that as to the role of the World Health Organization vis-à-vis the authority of states to make decisions of this nature.”

Rowley said conversations would also be held on the issue of climate change and how it affects small-island developing states.