KINGSTOWN, St Vincent (CMC) – Caribbean Community (Caricom) Secretary General Dr Carla Barnett will address the United Nations Security Council on Friday when it meets to discuss the ongoing situation in Haiti, St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves has said.

Gonsalves, speaking on a radio programme hosted by his ruling Unity Labour Party (ULP) on Tuesday night, said that Barnett will become the first Caricom secretary general to address the UN Security Council of which St Vincent and the Grenadines is a member.

“It will be the first time, as far as I am aware, that the secretary general of Caricom will be addressing the Security Council. It is a big, big moment for Caricom, for Africa, and for Haiti and we hope this brings about a framework for real genuine stability and the sustainable development of Haiti,” said Gonsalves, one of the longest serving prime ministers in the 15-member regional grouping.

“We are trying to lay out the framework but of course, the Haitian people are the ones who will determine this,” he said, adding that Prime Minister Ariel Henry, as well as other representatives of non-governmental organisations, have been invited to participate in the event.

Gonsalves said that the UN meeting, which is carded to begin at 2:00 pm (Jamaica time) on Friday, is being convened by the three non-permanent ccouncil members from Africa along with St Vincent and the Grenadines.

“This particular exercise is being led by St Vincent and the Grenadines. We are having a meeting of the Security Council done under a formula…which is a fairly informal formula. But it is the first time there is a discussion at the Security Council on Haiti led by countries other than the United States or France or Canada or Britain.

“Obviously wherever we go we need their resources to help in the rebuilding of Haiti but St Vincent and the Grenadines has been the lead country in this regard. We are the current chair of the Security Council for this month and we have this link between the three African countries and ourselves and they said go ahead and we have put forward a set of proposals and everything is meshing,” added Gonsalves.

Haiti has been plunged into socio-economic and political uncertainty as it prepares for its presidential election following the assassination of President Jovenel Moise on July 7.