The CEIRPP Bureau delegation visited Trinidad and Tobago from April 21 to 23, 2024, to advocate for Palestinian rights. This visit followed the Security Council’s veto on Palestine’s UN membership (April 18), the ongoing Gaza conflict, escalating settler attacks in the West Bank, and threats to the two-State solution.
Led by Chair, Ambassador Cheikh Niang, and accompanied by Bureau Vice Chairs, Ambassador Ernesto Soberón Guzmán, Ambassador Jaime Hermida Castillo and Minister Riyad Mansour, and Secretary of the Committee, Patrice Chiwota, the delegation met with the Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs to urge Trinidad and Tobago to recognize Palestine. They praised the country’s principled stance during its Presidency of the General Assembly and emphasized the importance of leadership in addressing the Palestine crisis.
On April 23, the Bureau visited the Trinidad and Tobago Islamic League (TML), established in 1937, to discuss the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and Gaza. The TML expressed support for a Gaza ceasefire, humanitarian access, UNRWA, and a two-State solution.
The final meeting, on 24 April, was at the Diplomatic Academy at the University of the West Indies, focusing on genocide, human rights abuses, and multilateralism’s limitations in addressing the Question of Palestine (QoP). They discussed the implications of recognizing the State of Palestine for the two-State Solution.
A press conference, organized by the UN Resident Coordinator and the UN House, concluded the visit. The event received extensive local media coverage, highlighting the importance of the Question of Palestine and the Committee’s advocacy efforts in Trinidad and Tobago.
