It was just after 7 pm on Tuesday that Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar SC made her appearance at the United Nations General Assembly gathering in New York.
And her major topic?
Crime?
Persad-Bissessar told the world of her concern for guns, drugs and transnational organised crime that is in the Caribbean.
Persad-Bissessar said the illicit trafficking of firearms and narcotics has become a major security threat not only to Trinidad and Tobago, but to the wider Caribbean.
She thanked United States President, Donald Trump, for deepening security co-operation with this country and inviting the twin-island Republic to join the Shield of the Americas and the Americas Counter-Cartel Coalition.
She said, “The illicit flow of firearms and narcotics is a major security concern for Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean.”
Persad-Bissessar said transnational organised crime continues to pose a serious threat to the security and development of small states, which face an asymmetric challenge from powerful and sophisticated criminal networks.
The Prime Minister added, “For Trinidad and Tobago, this is not an abstract threat. These networks directly endanger our citizens, our institutions and our development.”
Persad-Bissessar said since her Government took office in 2025, it has pursued a people-centred agenda built around safer communities, productive investment, modern public services, and expanded opportunities.
Persad-Bissessar added, “To this end, we have strengthened co-operative efforts with the United States and other partners to dismantle criminal syndicates that have wreaked havoc across our country and our region.
“This is why we have profound gratitude to President Trump for his invitation to Trinidad and Tobago earlier this year to be part of the newly formed Shield of the Americas and the Americas Counter-Cartel Coalition.
“We remain confident that this partnership will continue to promote freedom, security and prosperity in our region.”
Persad-Bissessar said this country intends to carry its fight against illegal firearms and narcotics into the UN Security Council when the country begins its two-year term in January. This country was elected in June with 181 votes to serve as a non-permanent member of the Security Council for 2027-2028.
The Prime Minister returns to Trinidad on Thursday morning in time for the National Awards Ceremony at Queen’s Hall later that day.
