FOREIGN and Caricom Affairs Minister Dr Amery Browne wants to make it "categorically clear" that TT's interest in the presidency of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) was not endorsed by the group of Latin American and Caribbean (GRULAC) in 2013 as is being claimed by Naparima MP Rodney Charles, but in 2023. Browne wants Charles to stop the "partisan bickering and squabbling" surrounding this topic.

On April 1, Browne announced TT's bid for the UNGA presidency. TT's nominee is New York-based permanent representative of TT to the UN Dennis Francis, who is currently unopposed.

UNGA's responsibilities include setting the UN's budget, appointing non-permanent members to the UN Security Council and appointing the UN secretary-general.

The presidency rotates annually between five geographic groups – Africa, Asia-Pacific, Eastern European, Latin American and Caribbean and Western European and other states.

In a press release this week, Charles said Browne should not take credit for this becoming a reality, saying negotiations stemmed from 2013 when the UNC was in power.

He said, "Since a Latin American member of GRULAC (an Ecuadorian) was elected president in 2018, the presidency is now (five years later) by convention available to a Caricom candidate.

"TT was nominated unopposed for this position in 2013, as the nominee of Caricom, because of ground work done on September 3, 2013 when, on the instructions of Kamla Persad-Bissessar, TT obtained the full GRULAC endorsement for its candidacy in 2023. Only if Caricom decides on another member state can TT’s nomination be in jeopardy. That is most unlikely.”

[caption id="attachment_1009696" align="alignnone" width="768"] GRULAC endorses TT's candidate for UNGA presidency - Narissa Fraser[/caption]

He said Browne seemed "blissfully unaware" of this.

"Only in the PNM can you launch a bid for something that was lobbied for and decided upon ten years ago. Of course TT will have to go through the motions and required protocols. But it is a done deal,” he said.

He claimed the presidency was a gift of the People’s Partnership administration and a seminal achievement of Persad-Bissessar's government.

“We understand Browne’s need to take credit for the work of the PP administration. At the very least he should be professional enough to provide all the facts and give credit where it is due.”

But at a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Browne said Charles' comments were "very unfortunate," as he is "taking a national issue and trying to convert the discussion into Kamla and the UNC and PP and PNM."

Browne said after checking records at both the UN and his ministry, he can "say categorically without fear of contradiction," that there was no endorsement by GRULAC at the time.

"It was never received until 2023...The entire attempt to take this down a partisan road was founded on a complete and total falsehood.

"Is that a surprise coming from Mr Charles? I will lea