Prime Minister Hon. Dr Godwin Friday will travel to New York from Friday, 18 September to Sunday, 27 September 2026 to lead Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ delegation during the High-Level Week of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
The visit will mark Prime Minister Friday’s first participation in the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week as Head of Government and will include his inaugural address to the General Debate of the 81st Session.
The General Debate brings together Heads of State and Government from across the world and provides countries with an opportunity to present their national priorities to the international community. The 81st Session is being held under the theme, “Restoring trust, managing transformation: a United Nations that delivers for all.”
Prime Minister Friday’s participation will place Saint Vincent and the Grenadines at the centre of important global discussions shaping the country’s future, particularly on climate vulnerability, sustainable development, economic resilience, investment and international cooperation.
Among the Prime Minister’s key engagements will be the Climate Vulnerable Forum Leaders Meeting, at which Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is expected to join the Climate Vulnerable Forum as a new member; the High-Level Event on Climate Action and the Just Transition; and the High-Level Plenary Meeting to Address the Existential Threats Posed by Sea Level Rise.
He will also deliver Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ national statement during the General Debate of the Eighty-First Session of the United Nations General Assembly, marking his inaugural address as Prime Minister.
The programme in New York will also include meetings with international partners, investors, and other Heads of Government.
Prime Minister Friday will participate in the Diaspora Outreach and Investment Forum, held in collaboration with Invest SVG, which provides an important platform to engage members of the Vincentian diaspora, prospective investors and development partners on opportunities for investment and economic participation in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Prime Minister Friday will also participate in a Town Hall Meeting with Vincentians in New York, providing an opportunity to speak directly with members of the diaspora about the Government’s work, the country’s direction and the role Vincentians overseas can play in shaping Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ future.
The Prime Minister will be accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade, Foreign Investment and Diaspora Affairs Hon. Dwight Fitzgerald Bramble; Hon. Jemalie John, Senator and Deputy Speaker; Hon. Chelsea Alexander, Senator; Ambassador and Senior Advisor Kevin Hope; Senior Advisor on Diaspora Affairs Sharon Jones; Press Secretary to the Prime Minister Danielle Veira; Communications Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Claris Ann Joseph; Administrative Cadet in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Shadeisha George; and Head of the Prime Minister’s Security Detail, Corporal Desrick Quashi.
While in New York, the delegation will also be supported by Her Excellency Vynnette Frederick, Permanent Representative of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to the United Nations, and the team at the Permanent Mission of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines to the United Nations.
