Menissa Rambally

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Menissa Rambally
Rambally in 2013
Permanent Representative of Saint Lucia to the United Nations in New York
Incumbent
Assumed office
2012
Prime MinisterKenny Anthony
Allen Chastanet
Member of Parliament for Castries South East, Parliament of Saint Lucia
In office
24 May 1997 – 11 December 2006
Prime MinisterKenny Anthony
MinisterTourism and Civil Aviation (2000-2001)
Social Transformation, Culture and Local Government (2001-2006)
Succeeded byGuy Joseph
Personal details
Born16 January 1976
St. Lucia
Political partySaint Lucia Labour Party
EducationLeon Hess Comprehensive Secondary School
Alma materCaribbean Union College

Menissa Rambally (born 16 January 1976) is a Saint Lucian politician and diplomat. She represented the Castries South East constituency for the Saint Lucia Labour Party, until she was defeated in the general election of 11 December 2006.

Rambally was the Minister of Culture in the government of the Saint Lucia Labour Party and the youngest MP in both the country's history and the English-speaking Commonwealth.

Rambally was appointed Permanent Representative for Saint Lucia to the United Nations (UN) in 2012 and has served as Chairman of the UN Special Committee on Decolonization and as Chairman of the UN Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (GRULAC).

Early life and education

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Rambally was born on 16 January 1976 in Saint Lucia.[1][2] She is the eldest daughter of Nelista Rambally[3] and Hezekiah Rambally, and has two sisters called Pearl and Shameela. She is of Indian, African and European ancestry.[citation needed]

Rambally was educated at the Leon Hess Comprehensive Secondary School.[citation needed] She is a Business graduate of the Trinidad and Tobago campus of the Caribbean Union College, an affiliate of Andrews University, Michigan, United States.[1]

Rambally is a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.[4]

Career

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Politics

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Menissa entered politics due to the death of her father who had been selected as the Saint Lucia Labour Party candidate for the Castries Southeast constituency. Upon entering the race in May 1997,[5] she challenged the seat for the opposition.[citation needed] Rambally was the youngest candidate and the youngest MP in both the country's history and in the English-speaking Commonwealth, entering the Parliament of Saint Lucia at 21 years of age.[1][6] The election of Rambally and Sarah Flood Beaubrun in 1997 and 2001 respectively, according to Cynthia Barrow-Giles, "transformed the St Lucia lower House of Parliament from a virtual 'all boys camp' to a more gender integrated elected parliament".[6]

Rambally served in the Ministry of Agriculture, as Acting Minister for Education, Human Resource Development, Youth and Sports, as Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation (2000-2001),[1][7][8] as Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs,[4] and as Minister for Social Transformation, Culture and Local Government (2001-2006).[1] She was the youngest person in modern Caribbean politics to hold full a ministerial office when she became Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation.[9] After her loss to Guy Joseph in the general election of 11 December 2006, she began working as a political consultant and social policy advisor from 2007 to 2011.[1][9]

United Nations

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Rambally was appointed Permanent Representative for St. Lucia to the United Nations in New York in 2012,[9][10][dead link] presenting her credentials to the United Nations Secretary General António Guterres.[1][11] Rambally published the book St. Lucia: The United Nations Journey 1979-2016, in 2018.[3][12]

Rambally was elected Chairman of the United Nations Special Committee on Decolonization on 16 February 2023.[13][14][15] She was also Chairman of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (GRULAC), until her succession by Mutryce Williams in 2025.[16] In December 2024 Ilana Seid led a delegation of Taiwan's allies to Taiwan. The delegation included Mutryce Williams of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Ambassador Tapugao Falefou from Tuvalu and Rambally.[17]

In 2024, Rambally formally established formal diplomatic relations between St. Lucia and Pakistan, signing a joint communiqué at the Pakistan Mission in New York alongside Pakistan's Permanent Representative to the UN Muneer Akram.[18][19][20]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "New Permanent Representative of Saint Lucia Presents Credentials". United Nations. 6 June 2012. Archived from the original on 16 January 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  2. ^ Christensen, Martin K.I. (23 March 2009). "Saint Lucia". Worldwide Guide to Women in Leadership. Martin K.I Christensen. Archived from the original on 13 July 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  3. ^ a b Nestor, Dean (16 January 2018). "Menissa Rambally Launches New Book". The Voice St. Lucia News. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  4. ^ a b "Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs Meets New Adventist Head". Government Information Service. Archived from the original on 1 June 2023. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  5. ^ "ST. LUCIA-POLITICS: More Women Enter Political Arena". Inter Press Service. 16 May 1997. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  6. ^ a b Barrow-Giles, Cynthia. "Political Party Financing and Women's Political Participation in the Caribbean - Chapter III" (PDF). Idea International. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  7. ^ Jacobson, Philip (10 March 2001). "St Lucia slow to curb crime, say hoteliers". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 31 March 2011.
  8. ^ "Saint Lucia Ministers". www.guide2womenleaders.com. Archived from the original on 19 January 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  9. ^ a b c "Ambassadorial Appointments". Government Information Service. Archived from the original on 21 April 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  10. ^ "Ambassadorial Appointments". The Voice. 26 May 2012. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2012.
  11. ^ "Presentation of Credentials of H.E. Ambassador Menissa Rambally to UN Secretary General António Guterres". St. Lucia News Now. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  12. ^ McDowell, Claudia (21 January 2018). "Menissa Rambally Brings the UN to the Coffee Table". THE STAR - St Lucia. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  13. ^ "Saint Lucian elected chair of UN Decolonization Committee". United Nations in the Caribbean. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  14. ^ "St. Lucian diplomat to chair UN Special Committee". Caribbean Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  15. ^ "UN Special Committee meets in Timor, ahead of the C24 in June in New York". MercoPress. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  16. ^ "St. Kitts and Nevis assumes Chairmanship of the Group of Latin American and Caribbean States (GRULAC) at the United Nations". SKNIS. 6 January 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  17. ^ "St. Kitts and Nevis Ambassador to UN Joined UN Delegation to Taiwan". SKN Consulate in Toronto. Archived from the original on 28 May 2025. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
  18. ^ "Pakistan, Saint Lucia establish formal diplomatic relations". SAMAA TV. 24 July 2025. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  19. ^ "Saint Lucia, Pakistan Formalise Diplomatic Relations". St. Lucia Times. 30 May 2024. Archived from the original on 26 March 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2025.
  20. ^ "Pakistan, Saint Lucia formalize diplomatic relations". Radio Pakistan. Archived from the original on 21 April 2025. Retrieved 24 July 2025.