Her Excellency

Grenada’s High Commissioner Her Excellency Ms Rachér Croney has had an exciting start to the year. Under the theme ‘One People, One Journey, One Future,’ her island nation celebrated 50 years of independence on 7 February 2024. She flew home for the occasion to participate in the major activities: a national church service, a grand gala hosted by the Governor General, plus the national day parade, “the centre of celebrations and a great display of culture. There was a lot of excitement surrounding the anniversary; flights and hotels were at capacity, and the diaspora from around the world flew back to Grenada to mark the occasion.” Grenadians were joined by the prime ministers of St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, Dominica and St Vincent and the Grenadines, as well as the Presidents of Ghana and Barbados, and the Vice President of Venezuela. In a message expressing his disappointment at not being present for the occasion, the UK’s King Charles described Grenada as an exemplar of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law.

More than anything, says the High Commissioner, “It’s a great time to be in Grenada and to do business . There is an excitement throughout the island and a renewed sense of hope for the future as we mark our 50^th anniversary of independence. It’s exhilarating to celebrate how far we’ve come and revel in the possibilities for the next 50. The enthusiasm is palpable throughout the Spice Island.” Although the official date has passed, she assures me that it is a year-long celebration, with several activities planned.

High Commissioner Croney arrived in London in September last year. Her first time to the UK, she explains “it has been a humbling experience. The diplomatic community is large and vibrant, which is impressive, and while I was aware of the architecture and history of the country, being here and getting to experience it in person has been amazing, along with working with the UK government.

The High Commissioner’s career began with an internship in journalism during her last year at university after which she joined St. George’s University, her alma mater, as a communications specialist and part time lecturer with the University of the West Indies Open Campus in St George’s. “Growing up, my family taught me that anything was possible, and with the support of my parents, was always encouraged to reach for the stars.” Then came an opportunity to work at the U.S. Embassy in Grenada. “Diplomacy at this stage was not on my list,” she recalls, “but it soon felt like home. It provided me with an opportunity to make a more meaningful impact in both Grenada and the wider Caribbean region, which is what I really wanted to do.”

Employed as a foreign service national, the High Commissioner’s role initially started in the economic and consular field, a portfolio which evolved to incorporate politics, commercial and public diplomacy. As the Political and Economic Specialist, she served as the senior advisor to the U.S. Chargé d’Affaires on all political, economic, social, and security issues that impact the implementation of U.S. foreign policy in Grenada and the Eastern Caribbean. A huge part of her job also focussed on assessing the political and economic relationships between Grenada and the US, as well as the Eastern Caribbean islands.

“The US Embassy in Grenada is one of the smallest US missions in the world, and so each person was responsible for three or four portfolios. This provided an opportunity to see how an entire mission functions from every angle, from management to finance, to consular, to PR and to the economic and political side. “Little did I know then that this was the training ground for what was ahead. It was a great learning and professional development experience which prepared me for my role today.” While she was there, she also began teaching at the Foreign Service Institute with the U.S. Department of State. “As an adjunct faculty member, I taught hundreds of Foreign Service Nationals from more than 20 U.S. missions within the Western, East-Asian-Pacific, and African region.

In the UK, one of High Commissioner Croney’s first administrative priorities is “to relocate the mission. I’m passionate about this because we’ve outgrown our current building, and I believe more can be done in the right location, and with the right resources.” She also confesses to “a passion for commercial diplomacy. Working with businesses to highlight investment opportunities in Grenada is high on my list. There is a myriad of untapped opportunities in Grenada, and if we can find a way to highlight them and direct investment into those key development sectors, it would bring me a great sense of satisfaction. Right now, there are several priority areas for Grenada, with health being number one. In addition to health, there is also a focus on education, ICT and the digital economy, agriculture, energy, and the blue and green economy, and my goal is to advocate for projects in each of them. ”

Working with the Caricom Heads of Mission community in London has also been a huge support. “We meet every month. Guyana is the current chair of Caricom through June, and Grenada will become chair in July. The same will apply for the caucus in London.”

She also speaks of the importance of highlighting climate adaptation and resilience in Grenada. “We are vulnerable to climate change, and the risks of hurricanes and natural disasters are increasing, along with extreme weather, erosion, and drought which together threatens the lives and livelihoods of our people.” She further noted that of significant importance to small island developing states such as Grenada is “access to the loss and damage fund, and ensuring that it is timely and equitably distributed to the countries that are most vulnerable.”

Her role in the UK is not without its challenges. “There is a need for more staff at mission in London. This would allow us to do more and to focus on specific areas in which there is a need for more engagement. Nevertheless, we remain impactful and aim to ensure that our voice is always heard.”

High Commissioner Croney admits that her diplomatic career helps to indulge her greatest hobby of “travelling and experiencing new cultures. Being posted in the UK is inarguably a gateway to Europe and I’m looking forward to exploring this part of the world.” But the most memorable occasion of her time in the UK so far has been her audience with King Charles III in December, which she described as a humbling experience. She stated, “In addition to meeting the King, there have been other experiences as well – it’s been a whirlwind. We participated in the inaugural UK-Caribbean Trade and Investment Forum in November, and that was amazing. We identified several companies that we are now working with on various projects for Grenada. All these experiences make this journey not only an exciting one but rewarding too. My greatest hope is that during my tenure in London I can contribute to the socio-economic development of my country and play my part in building the beautiful tri-island nation of Grenada, Carriacou, and Petite Martinique.”