by Linda Straker
- United Nations General Assembly will open on 9 September
- Either the Prime Minister or the Minister for Foreign Affairs will address General Debate
- Grenada joined United Nations on 17 September 1974
Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Andall said that although the Trump Administration has announced that it has taken steps to impose visa restrictions on Grenadian government officials and their family members for their complicity in the Cuban regime’s medical mission scheme, the US has an obligation to allow Grenada to participate in the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
The 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA 80) will open on 9 September 2025, with the high-level General Debate commencing on 23 September 2025. A delegation from Grenada is scheduled to attend the meeting, and either the Prime Minister or the Minister for Foreign Affairs will address the General Debate. Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell has addressed the high-level debate since 2022.
The UNGA is the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the United Nations, and the only UN body where all 193 member states have equal representation, with each having one vote. The UNGA discusses a wide range of international issues and makes recommendations, though it does not have the power to enforce decisions. Grenada joined the United Nations on 17 September 1974.
The visa restriction is expected to affect Government officials and their families who are holders of A-1, A-2 or A-3 visas. Under the US system, the A-1 visa is for heads of state, ambassadors, ministers, and career diplomats, along with their immediate family members.
The A-2 visa is for other accredited foreign government officials and employees, as well as their families. The A-3 visa is for personal employees, attendants, or servants of A-1 or A-2 visa holders. It is not known which government officials and their families will be immediately affected by the US visa restriction announced by Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State, on 13 August.
“I believe that all countries that host international organisations they do have an obligation to allow access to the members of the organisations to be able to access meetings and facilities,” Andall asked when questioned about the possibility of him being barred from attending UNGA 80.
In his interview with the Miami Herald, Andall said he was unable to provide details about the US visa restriction because Grenada has not received any official information from the US Government. “We have been seeing things on social media. We have not received any official information from the government of the United States. So, I am not in a position to comment,” he said. “I have not been notified; we have not been notified; we have not got any official notification from any branch of the United States government about visa suspension or anything of that nature.”
