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Ambassador Ingrid Jackson calls for fairer financing, support for Haiti and a stronger Caribbean voice in global decisions

UNITED NATIONS, New York — Grenada has urged world leaders to see small island developing states as sources of solutions, not only as countries exposed to climate risks.

“We are also laboratories of resilience,” Ambassador Ingrid Jackson said in Grenada’s national statement to the 81st United Nations General Assembly, delivered on behalf of Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell, according to an analysis by Julian Rogers of Caribbean Bridges.

The phrase captured a broad message: island states are building ways to respond to global challenges, but they need dependable financing and a meaningful place in decisions that shape their future.

Jackson argued that resilience should be financed before disaster strikes. She called for wider use of the Multidimensional Vulnerability Index, saying national income alone does not adequately show a country’s exposure to climate events, natural disasters and external economic shocks. Grenada wants development partners and financial institutions to take those vulnerabilities into account when making financing decisions.

On Haiti, Jackson backed CARICOM’s call for the timely renewal and full deployment of the UN-authorised Gang Suppression Force, alongside the personnel, equipment and funding needed to support its mandate and safeguard human rights.

“Haiti is not a failed state,” she said. “Haiti represents a promise yet to be fulfilled.” Her appeal, as Rogers noted, placed sustained support for Haitian people at the centre of the discussion.

Grenada also called for constructive engagement on Cuba. Jackson raised concerns about the embargo and its effects on the Cuban people while saying reforms within Cuba were necessary. Her emphasis was on practical steps that improve people’s lives.

In the race for the next UN Secretary-General, Jackson expressed Grenada’s support for Guyanese diplomat Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett. She argued that the Caribbean’s size should not limit its ability to lead at the highest level of the international system.

Artificial intelligence was another focus. Jackson called for governance that protects privacy, security and public trust while giving young people the skills to use, question and shape emerging technology responsibly.

Rogers described Grenada’s message as a shift from survival towards transformation. For small states, the challenge is to turn resilience into lasting progress—with international partnerships that match their ambitions.

Editor’s note: The supplied Caribbean Bridges brief contains conflicting dates for Grenada’s address, including a reference to September 29, 2026, which is after this article’s date. Times Caribbean has omitted the speech date pending confirmation. The remarks and analysis above are attributed to the supplied brief.