Prime Minister Centerstage

It seems as if Prime Minister Mottley took over New York this year. She visited more than usual and, certainly, she was the centre of attention every time she appeared.

She attended the inaugural Global Citizen NOW thought leadership summit in May, sharing a stage with Bill Bye in person and Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau. On the same day of her session, Time Magazine announced Mottley as one of the Time 100 Most Influential People, with the Prime Minister gracing one of the four covers issued.

She met or chatted with a host of people including former Prime Minister of Norway, Erna Solberg; Chair and CEO of Cisco, Chuck Robbins; singer Aloe Blacc and Executive Director of Rihanna’s Clara Lionel Foundation, Justine Lucas. She also met with differently able activist, Eddie Ndopu; Ethan Freedman of the Independent Newspaper, UK; US Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Founder of Global Citizen, Hugh Evans, and some members of his team.

Mottley also spent some time with the staff of the Consulate and the Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.

The Prime Minister made a quick stop in June, on her way to California and the Summit of the Americas to participate in the Time 100 forum at Lincoln Center. She also took the opportunity to meet with executives at Northwell Health.

Mottley was back for the United Nations General Assembly. Along with numerous diplomatic meetings, she attended the

Goalkeepers Forum, sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. After a private meeting with Bill Gates, attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs Jerome Walcott and Consul General Mackie Holder, the Prime Minister made a short speech at the public session and then shared the stage with Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez and Bill and Melinda Gates. June Sarpong chaired the session.

During Mottley’s final trip to New York, she toured the Brooklyn Steam Center, New York’s first school located in a business environment, Brooklyn Navy Yards. It is a partner school of the XQ Institute, which works with New York City Education to reimagine learning spaces.

The hands-on Center has five career pathways, Construction Technology, Computer Science & Information Technology, Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management, Design & Engineering and Film and Media.

Prime Minister Mottley also received the UN Foundation’s 2022 Champion for Global Change Award. It was an occasion shared with family and friends. She ended her feature speech with Alison Hind’s Togetherness, to the delight of the audience.