Last Updated on February 4, 2025, 1:06 PM AST by Anthony Morris
St. Kitts and Nevis passed on the baton of the chairmanship of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean (GRULAC) states to St. Vincent and Grenadines in January end, winding down its month-long tenure.
Dr. Mutryce Williams, Permanent Representative of St. Kitts and Nevis to the United Nations, convened a final meeting signalling greater partnership and cooperation among the bloc’s member-states as it strives for greater visibility, leadership and strategic impact at the world body.
The diplomat, who chaired the meeting attended by international representatives, thanked all for displaying a spirit of consensus.
St. Kitts and Nevis took the responsibility of the chair from St. Lucia in the first week of January 2025.
Dr. Williams leveraged her chairmanship to invite key strategic partners to brief GRULAC about areas of joint action and cooperation. Georgina Guillen-Grillo, Director General of Foreign Policy and Special Presidential Envoy for the Ocean, Costa Rica, briefed the group ahead of the UN Ocean Conference which will be held in Nice, France, in June this year.
The event also saw the participation of Anacláudia Marinheiro Centeno Rossbach, Executive Director of the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat).
St. Kitts and Nevis considers both organizations as potential partners in its mission to have strategic alliances at multilateral platforms as the island-nation eyes Sustainable Development Goals and a Sustainable Island State by 2040.
Dr. Williams stresses geo-strategic diplomacy
During her chairmanship, the St. Kitts and Nevis’ diplomat stressed her government’s geo-strategic diplomacy through deeper engagement, broader consultation, equity and transparency across Latin America and the Caribbean. Her work was commended by her counterparts and colleagues at the UN.
A specialist in national security and international relations, Dr. Williams was excited when her country assumed the top role. She said for the Permanent Mission and St. Kitts and Nevis, the responsibility exemplified the country’s ambition to make key contributions to the work in the UN at a time of several challenges, including development finance, sustainable development and climate action.
Calling her experience “insightful and instructive”, Dr. Williams cited the World Bank as opining that the Latin American and Caribbean region is expected to witness a gradual recovery in the current year, backed by falling inflation and accommodative monetary policy.
“The region’s economic performance will be influenced by a mix of domestic and international factors, with commodity prices and global demand playing moderate roles. St. Kitts and Nevis will therefore manoeuvre at the UN to secure geo-strategic advantage and opportunities for the Federation. Latin America and the Caribbean are our neighbourhood, and many of us share the same sea and space. This compels us to work more closely together,” the permanent representative said.
GRULAC’s chairmanship gave St. Kitts and Nevis opportunities to have stronger ties with countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, serving the vision of Prime Minister Terrance Drew and Foreign Minister Denzil Douglas who seek diplomatic and development prospects amid tensions.
About GRULAC
GRULAC is one of the five UN Regional Groups that comprises 33 member-states from Central and South America and the Caribbean. The bloc’s members compose 17 per cent of all UN members.
The group is a non-binding consensus and dialogue one which tries to reach a consensus among the member-states on various issues affecting the region.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
