In the last 63 years of its history, Trinidad and Tobago has made significant contributions to the work of the United Nations, and there are still more contributions to be made.
That was the view of speakers at the UN@80 Conference, held at the University of the West Indies, St. Augustine Campus, which marked the 80th anniversary of the United Nations.
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Dr. Paul Byam outlined some of those achievements: “Though small, our country has managed to serve effectively in a number of very important agencies and organisations. In the United Nations, Trinidad and Tobago has impacted global issues including sustainable development, climate change, and human rights.”
The UN’s Resident Coordinator to T&T, Joanna Kazana, said Trinidad and Tobago still has important contributions to make.
“Looking to the future, Trinidad and Tobago is now a candidate for a non-permanent seat of the Security Council for the period 2027 – 2028, having served in the 80s for a two-year period of ‘85 and ’86. And this move to be on the Security Council is critical.”
She highlighted the importance of the seat: “It is coming at a time when, in the organisation’s history, the 193 Member States are looking to recalibrate the international peace and security architecture and provide a more balanced system of power sharing in the UN Security Council.”
The theme of the UN@80 Conference was ‘From Legacy to Future – Renewing Multilateralism in a Changing World.’