HC Gavin Nicholas
His Excellency Garvin Nicholas – One Year On. The 5th December marked one year since His Excellency Garvin Nicholas engaged the post of High Commissioner at the London based High Commission.
By far the busiest of all Trinidad and Tobago Missions, the London Mission regularly hosts His Excellency the President, the Honourable Prime Minister, the Honourable Chief Justice, Cabinet Ministers and other senior officers.
His Excellency marked one year in office just after returning from presenting his credentials to the Queen of Denmark, Her Majesty Margrethe Alexandrine Þorhildur Ingrid at the Louis IV Palace in Copenhagen. During this visit, High Commissioner Nicholas met with members of the Diaspora, business people and companies involved in trade and investment with Trinidad and Tobago, reaffirming the High Commission’s onward provision of quality and service.
In his first twelve months, His Excellency has transformed the image of the London Mission from one that just existed to a more dynamic, progressive mechanism for Diaspora activities involving culture, tourism and trade. There has been a fervent buzz of meetings with nationals, book launches, film nights, art exhibitions and trade conferences. Eid, Divali, Arrival Day and many other ceremonies have been hosted by His Excellency to the utter delight of citizens.
Monthly meetings with nationals afford the High Commissioner the opportunity to progressively engage with individuals in the community and develop relationships that shorten the bridge between Trinidad and Tobago and the UK. His Excellency has been explicit in his actions to ensure that nationals visiting the mission feel at home and leave with undoubted pride.
A new professional website along with social media tools welcome visitors from all around the world and further enhances the mission’s outward communication with nationals far and wide.
External to the High Commission’s core duty to its nationals, His Excellency Garvin Nicholas has embarked on a journey to enrich and place Trinidad and Tobago in good stead in the realm of trade and investment. So far, through successful initiatives, His Excellency has harnessed the prospect to yield over 2.5 billion dollars in direct foreign investment with the potential of creating over 150 new jobs.
His Excellency has marketed Trinidad and Tobago brands such as Angostura, Vat 19, KC Confectionary, Caribbean Airlines and others at every opportunity. He was able to put the steel pan and Angostura rum on the global centre stage when they were presented as gifts at the royal wedding of William and Kate; a media frenzy event witnessed the world over.
As High Commissioner for the Commonwealth and representative for the Chair in Office, High Commissioner was very influential in putting initiatives beneficial to the Caribbean and other Small States, on the CARICOM agenda for the 2011 CHOGM whilst also standing up to larger States preventing initiatives that might have been detrimental to the interests of Trinidad and Tobago. High Commissioner Nicholas has been elected to Chair the Commonwealth Foundation Grants’ Committee.
Trinidad and Tobago’s presence in the UK has been additionally enhanced by the formation of a powerful and influential All Party Parliamentary Group for Trinidad and Tobago; another initiative of His Excellency Nicholas.
A busy High Commissioner in action
With advancing relations high on his agenda, His Excellency has met with non-traditional States such as the Kingdom of Morocco. Because of his efforts citizens wishing to travel to Morocco need only submit their application details via the London Mission to the Moroccan Embassy in London for processing.
His Excellency has put the Trinidad and Tobago stamp back into pan and carnival. The Ipswich Arts Festival saw the benefit of the High Commissioner’s patronage as record numbers were exposed to steel pan and a cohort of ‘Trinbagonian’ revellers basking in cultural delight. He also hosted the 2011 launch of the ‘Nottinghill Carnival’ at his official residence and incorporated many cultural themes in his reception for London based Diplomats for Independence.
His Excellency has brought even more sustainable, economy diversifying projects to the fold in the form of sport tourism. About to be put in place is a bilateral agreement for an international golf tournament in Trinidad and Tobago.
Over the next twelve months, His Excellency expects to see the realisation of a Trinidad and Tobago styled Carnival in Cardiff Wales along with the presentation of Trinidad and Tobago’s culture, fashion, cuisine and other trade opportunities at a five week long Trinidad and Tobago Village during the 2012 Olympics in London.
High Commissioner Nicholas will use every opportunity to take full advantage of Trinidad and Tobago’s 50th anniversary celebrations in 2012 to promote the exciting trade and tourism destination that is Trinidad and Tobago.
High Commissioner Nicholas has become the virtual MP for the UK but states that if there is one drawback to his posting, it is the fact that he cannot represent the ‘eight thousand and more’ members of his constituency in Trinidad that voted for him at the 2010 general election.
Nevertheless, Trinidad and Tobago in London has indeed come a long way in the last twelve months!
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