TCI First Lady Calls for Global Cooperation at UN Sidelines Forum

First Lady of the Turks and Caicos Islands, Mrs. Delthia Russell-Misick, called for stronger communities and greater international cooperation during a high-level forum of First Ladies and Gentlemen held on the margins of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Mrs. Delthia Russell-Misick , First Lady of the Turks and TCI addresses the UN Sidelines Forum

The forum focused on stability, resilience and the future of communities, bringing together participants from around the world to discuss shared humanitarian and global challenges.

Drawing on the experience of the Turks and Caicos Islands, Russell-Misick urged leaders to broaden their understanding of the saying “It takes a village to raise a child,” arguing that responsibility for the next generation must extend beyond national borders.

According to an official social media account of her participation, she highlighted how climate change, conflict, economic uncertainty, technology and displacement are shaping lives across countries and cultures. Her message called for compassion and cooperation that reach across those same boundaries.

“In an increasingly interconnected world, the village can no longer be confined by geography,” the account stated. “It must stretch across communities, countries, cultures and oceans.”

Russell-Misick also highlighted the contribution small island societies can make to global discussions. Their experiences of resilience, adaptation, community and interdependence, she argued, offer valuable perspectives in shaping solutions to shared challenges.

Delthia Russel-Misick (fourth from right) , First Lady of the Turks and Caicos Islands is captured with other first ladies at the UN Sidelines Forum

Her participation brought the Turks and Caicos Islands’ perspective to the international forum, with an emphasis on collective responsibility and the role of strong communities in creating a more secure future for children.

Among the participants was Ukraine’s First Lady, Olena Zelenska, founder of the Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen Global Platform, which brings together spouses of heads of state to address humanitarian and global challenges.

The official account concluded with a message reflecting Russell-Misick’s call for shared responsibility: “Our children will inherit more than the countries we leave them. They will inherit the world we leave them.”