Ten young men were officially welcomed into the Boys Mentorship Programme on Wednesday (November 23, 2022) as the programme was expanded to include the Verchilds High School.

The ten young men are between 12 to 16 years. They are Kaiem Liburd, Zion Caines, Wayne Lake, Tequan Duncan, Kajaun Collins and Amarie Hughes. Malique Wattley, Zemarie Lewis, Alvin Dasent and Lequan Percival are also mentees on the programme.

At an opening ceremony, Director of Gender Affairs, Virgil Jeffers, noted that Wednesday’s launch marked the establishment of the 4th Chapter of the Boys Mentorship Programme, which was piloted in the Charles E. Mills Secondary School in 2016. Basseterre High School joined in 2018, followed by Cayon High School in 2021.

“The programme provides opportunities for holistic development of adolescent males,” expressed Mr. Jeffers. “The programme offers training in life skills, technical skills, job attachment, community service, scholarship, and parental engagement attachment. A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you than you see in yourselves and helps to bring it out of you.”

Mario Phillip of the Department of Gender Affairs in Nevis commended all involved in this initiative. He noted that the mentorship programme is in keeping with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which include calls for achieving gender equality, no poverty, and zero hunger.

“I am so pleased that the Boys Mentorship Programme … encapsulates those elements, starting with our children and having each individual playing their part to reach another,” Mr. Phillip stated.

In giving remarks at the opening, Hon. Isalean Phillip, Junior Minister responsible for Social Development Gender Affairs, highlighted the value of men having meaningful positive relationships with other males.

“It is a fact that with strong and healthy positive male friendships, men and boys can actually have a lower risk of depression, suicide, dropping out of school, teen pregnancy, substance use and gang membership,” she indicated.

The Minister thanked the males who volunteered to be mentors and encouraged them to be proactive in keeping close contact with the assigned young men. The adolescents were also encouraged to be respectful and embrace the many benefits that accompany this programme.

Attorney-General and Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs, the Honourable Garth Wilkin is representing the Federation at the Commonwealth Law Ministers’ Meeting in Balaclava, Mauritius under the theme: “Strengthening international cooperation through the rule of law and the protection of human rights.”

The primary objective of the Meeting, held every three years, is to advance Commonwealth consensus and cooperation and to enable Law Ministers to set clear directions on a range of legal, rule of law and justice issues of mutual interest to member countries.

The Attorney General stated that meetings of this nature bode well for Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

“These meetings are extremely important for small island states like ours, because we lack the human capacity to develop all of the necessary complex systems and laws to preserve and enhance the rule of law,” said Attorney-General Wilkin. “For example, we have no National Computer Emergency Response (“CER”) Structure, a need given the proliferation of international cybercrimes. I promise to come back home with the best practice policies and model law to implement a CER Team and National Cybercrime Response Plan with the assistance of Hon. Konris Maynard, Minister of ICT.”

The Attorney-General also held discussions with the Honourable Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, Dr. Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, of Rwanda about various legal systems that can be adapted to serve our people in St Kitts and Nevis, particularly their innovative Legal Aid and Criminal Investigation systems and negotiated technical support from Farzana Nazir-Mohammed, Director of the Criminal Justice Unit of the Ministry of Legal Affairs in Trinidad & Tobago, for our Criminal Justice Reform project which he initiated since taking office.

“Those are just day one benefits. I anticipate even more productive conversations and commitments over the next few days as we discuss various topics, including People-Centered Justice; The Future of Our Courts; Law, Climate Change and Food Security; Commonwealth Anti-Corruption Benchmarks; Cybersecurity for Elections: A Commonwealth Guide on Best Practice; and Freedom of Expression and the Role of the Media, to name a few,” he said. “We must piggyback on the intellectual advancements and model structures of our Commonwealth brothers and sisters so that we can create bespoke systems that benefit our people.”

Law Ministers and Senior Legal Officers from other Commonwealth Caribbean territories are present: Belize, BVI, Grenada, Jamaica, St Vincent & The Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, as well as representatives of the 56 independent countries that make up the Commonwealth in Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and the Pacific.

Civil Servants, Government Auxiliary Employees (GAEs), Pensioners and STEP workers across St. Kitts and Nevis have benefited from an extra month’s salary, which was paid on Tuesday, November 22, 2022—a gesture Prime Minister the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew said was made to show appreciation to public servants for their hard work.

Prime Minister Dr. Drew, while speaking on WINNFM’s Voices programme today, Wednesday, November 23, stated that the payment of the extra month’s salary, or a ‘double salary’ as it is colloquially termed, was also made to help stimulate the Federation’s economy.

“The economy needs stimulation as well and we have to stimulate the economy,” the Prime Minister said. “You as public servants…have worked hard. You have put yourselves out there and I think that you needed to have been shown, in a tangible way, that we appreciate that. But in addition to that, our aim is also to stimulate the economy, to get to people so that they can have a good Christmas, people can spend to help businesses and help all around so that all of us would benefit from that injection into the economy.”

The Honourable Prime Minister added that this was also part of the rationale behind his administration’s decision to pay Honoraria to government employees who worked on the frontline during the Covid-19 Pandemic.

Moreover, Prime Minister Dr. Drew, who also serves as Minister of Finance in the Federal Government, said the payments of the double salary and the Honoraria are things that the Government is able to manage, particularly as it moves forward with the diversification of the Federation’s economy.

He said, “We’re going to hit hard in the construction field, in tourism. The CBI [Citizenship by Investment] programme right now is heavily dependent on, but we are going to diversify the economy so that we are not so heavily dependent on the CBI alone. You can have CBI, you can have tourism, you have construction, you can have agriculture, you can have energy, you can have financial services and you can have the offshore education sector and so forth. So, we are looking at multiple aspects of the economy that we can develop to make sure that we are receiving the necessary revenues to continue the social programmes and to keep us stable and strong.”

On November 22, 2022, the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College (CFBC) held its 34^th Commencement Ceremony which saw 246 students from across the five faculties graduating. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education the Hon. Dr. Geoffrey Hanley gave congratulatory remarks to the graduands.
 
“On my own behalf and that of my colleagues in the Ministry of Education, let me extend sincere congratulations to you and your families. The immense pleasure is mine to address you on this auspicious occasion. Commencement provides a unique lens from which to view one’s progress along with academic and professional achievement. I wholeheartedly subscribe to the ideals of the Ministry of Education’s vision and therefore view learning as a lifelong process…You would have completed diploma courses, and associate and bachelor’s degrees, the question is what’s next? Some of you have positioned yourselves to continue your educational journey, while others are poised to enter the world of work. Whatever your next step, I urge you to be the best you, the most productive you,” said Minister Dr. Hanley.
 
The Division of Arts, Sciences and General Studies at the CFBC accounted for a large number of graduates with 34 students receiving associate degrees, 55 students awarded diplomas, and two students bestowed general certificates. Minister Dr. Hanley also urged graduates to put the qualifications earned and skills learned to good use in making a positive contribution to society.
 
“You have acquired new knowledge and professional growth that enhance your qualifications. Put those qualifications to good use…you leave these hallowed walls with a broadened perspective that can enrich both your personal and professional life. Graduates, today’s events signify a culmination of years of sacrifice, hard work and discipline and we join with you to celebrate this milestone on your journey of success,” said Minister Dr. Hanley.
 
The mission of CFBC is to foster the development of responsible self-sufficient citizens by delivering a range of academic, professional and vocational courses and programmes that reflect high values and standards and which prepare students to make lifelong contributions to their communities.

During the second day of the week-long Commonwealth Law Ministers Meeting, Senator Hon. Garth Wilkin, Attorney-General & Minister of Justice & Legal Affairs addressed the plenary session on the topic “Commonwealth Anti-Corruption Benchmarks”. The session was chaired by the Attorney-General of Mauritius, Hon. Maneesh Gobin, with the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Her Excellency Right Hon. Baroness Patricia Scotland KC also present.
 
Attorney-General Wilkin told his fellow Commonwealth Law Ministers that the St Kitts & Nevis Government is “committed to substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all forms…and as a first step, my team in the Attorney General’s Chambers is currently finalizing a draft Anti-Corruption Bill to table in our Parliament within the next two (2) weeks.” He added that the Government is “also strengthening our Integrity In Public Life legislation” and that “modernization of our Freedom of Information and Government Procurement Legislation is also on the immediate agenda.”
 
He continued: “with these actions, we hope to, within the shortest time possible, align with the Commonwealth’s anti-corruption mandate and meet all Benchmarks with the help of our Commonwealth brothers and sisters.”
 
The Commonwealth has established 25 benchmarks of good anti-corruption practices for national governments and public sector bodies to tackle corruption. According to the Commonwealth Secretariat: “corruption undermines the proper functioning of society. It corrupts government, parliament, the judiciary, law enforcement, public sector functions, private sector commerce, and dealings between private individuals. It results in poor public services and in over-priced and dangerous infrastructure. It damages organisations, resulting in reduced project opportunities and financial loss. It harms individuals, resulting in poor education and health, poverty, hunger, and loss of life. It prevents the proper rule of law so that the innocent and vulnerable bear the consequences while the guilty escape sanction.”
 
The 25 Commonwealth Anti-Corruption Benchmarks are as follows: Corruption offences, sanctions and remedies; Authority responsible for preventing corruption; Investigation, prosecution, asset recovery and policing; The court system;  Parliament; Regulatory authorities; Regulation of financial institutions and the financial system 54; Transparency of asset ownership; Political lobbying, financing, spending and elections; Public sector organisations; Public officials; Issuing permits; Procurement; Contract management; Financial management; Concession management; Asset management; Independent monitoring; Independent auditing; Anti-corruption training; Reporting corruption; Standards and certification; Professional institutions and business associations; Participation of society; and International co-operation.

The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis along with Ecuador and Chile is coordinating a two-day (November 22-23) Forum on Human Rights Defenders in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean in Quito, Ecuador.

The objective of the forum is to provide a space for discussion on the situation of human rights defenders in environmental matters in Latin America and the Caribbean, bringing together the Parties to the Escazú Agreement, recognized specialists in the field, civil society, and people or groups in vulnerable situations to examine the challenges faced by human rights defenders in environmental matters and the possible responses to these challenges. The forum will also serve to raise awareness about the risks and challenges faced by environment defenders and how the Escazú Agreement can provide a supporting framework at the regional and national levels.

Derionne Edmeade, Environmental Education Officer in the Ministry of Environment, Climate Action and Constituency Empowerment is representing St. Kitts and Nevis. He serves as the country’s focal point for the Escazu Agreement and one of the coordinators for the human rights forum.

“Saint Kitts and Nevis is not only happy to be a part of this forum but also to represent the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) of the Caribbean Region. We are also thrilled to be coordinating with my colleagues from Ecuador and Chile, as together we can move this agenda item forward as we continue to champion the cause to ensure that environment defenders’ voices are heard, rights are respected, and are treated and judged fairly without threats or discrimination as they exercise their rights free from fear,” said Mr. Edmeade during the opening ceremony on November 22.

“The environmental defenders who are most exposed to abuse and reprisals include women, farmers and indigenous people who fight against deforestation, extractives, or loss of cultural heritage or identity. Every day, they face abuse, threats and harassment for their work addressing the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution, and nature loss,” Mr. Edmeade added.

According to Mr. Edmeade, the forum was “birth out of the belly of the Escazu Agreement as Article 9 of the agreement clearly focuses on ensuring that environment defenders’ rights are safeguarded in every way possible, for this we must do our part to ensure that these rights are articulated and exercised as there are many threats faced by our defenders especially here in Latin America.”

The forum is organized by The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (UN-ECLAC) on behalf of the Chair, Uruguay, and in accordance with decision I/6 on human rights defenders in environmental matters.

The Cabinet Ministers met under the Chairmanship of the Prime Minister, The Hon. Dr. Terrance Drew, on Monday 21^st November 2022 and made several key decisions to improve the welfare of our people.

1. The Cabinet of Ministers held discussions with the Development Bank of St. Kitts and Nevis on a loan programme to provide financing for micro, small and medium-sized businesses to overcome temporary liquidity challenges and continue operating or restart operations. The St. Kitts-Nevis Labour Party-led Administration welcomes this loan programme which will serve to complement its continuing COVID-19 Recovery and Relief Plans for the people of St. Kitts and Nevis and alleviate the financial difficulties of many micro, small and medium-sized business owners.
2. The Cabinet approved the appointment of 3 new marriage officers, namely:
   1. Reverend Othneil Daly of the Charlestown Methodist Church,
   2. Reverend Andrine Joseph of the Methodist Church (St. Kitts Circuit), and
   3. Pastor Alberto Mitrell of the Church of God of Prophecy.

The Cabinet wishes them all well in this new area of their service.

The St. Kitts & Nevis National Co-operative League Limited, the umbrella organisation
for the Credit Union Movement in the Federation, today announced that Melisa Edwards
Boutin was appointed General Manager, effective 14 th November 2022.

As General Manager, Ms. Edwards Boutin will direct the daily operations of the League
and promote the interest of credit unions through education, advocacy, training, and
product offerings beneficial to the credit unions and stakeholders.

Ms. Edwards Boutin previously lead the National Housing Corporation, as the General
Manager, and has a combination of education, training, and professional experience in
financial planning, wealth management, project management, and civil engineering,
garnered over the past 15 years.

She is a Chartered Financial Consultant® (ChFC®) Designation Certification program
candidate at The American College of Financial Services and holds Bachelor and Master
of Science degrees in Civil Engineering.

R. A. Peter Jenkins, the President of the St. Kitts & Nevis National Co-operative League
Limited, said how pleased it was to have Ms. Edwards Boutin on board to motivate,
inspire and foster the growth of the League’s four (4) credit union affiliates: the Nevis
Co-operative Credit Union, the St. Kitts Co-operative Credit Union, the Police Co-
operative Credit Union, and the First Federal Co-operative Credit Union.

The Board of Directors of the League, at its meeting on Monday, 14 th November,
welcomed the new General Manager and expressed confidence in the appointment of Ms.
Edwards Boutin and wished her a very successful tenure.

The Department of Probation and Child Protection Services is using the week of November 20 to 25 to highlight children’s rights and emphasize the importance of protecting young people under the age of 18 years.

The period is being commemorated as Child Abuse Prevention Week in St. Kitts and Nevis. It seizes on the momentum of World Children’s Day observed annually on November 20 as well as the newly declared observation of World Day for the Prevention and

Healing from Child Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Violence on November 18, 2022.

In a televised address on Sunday, Junior Minister responsible for Social Development and Gender Affairs, the Honourable Isalean Phillip, said that authorities continue to receive reports of child abuse, that are troubling to the government.

“The Ministry of Social Development and Gender Affairs intends to increase awareness of this serious issue throughout the week, and beyond, by highlighting child abuse prevention strategies, strengthening alliances with community groups and stakeholders, and creating new partnerships that will ultimately lead to communities that provide safer environments for children and facilitate their holistic inclusion,” Honourable Phillip said.

She called on adults to learn more about the signs and symptoms of child abuse so that they can help extend the protection safety net for children.

“Parents with greater support systems tend to be more resilient, less isolated and therefore more likely to provide safer home environments for children,” the Junior Minister stressed. “As such, we must provide support for parents and families not only in the household but also in the workplace by seeking to implement family-friendly policies that encourage family cohesion.”

Adults were also encouraged to get involved in volunteerism so that they can positively engage children. Some options mentioned included becoming a scout leader, teaching a baking course for children, reading children’s stories at the local library, or teaching a Sunday school class.

“Having adults involved in these activities ensures that children are not only properly supervised but are also actively engaged in positive ways that help in growing their confidence and advancing their development,” Honourable Phillip expressed.

Staff from the Department of Probation and Child Protection Services are appearing on various media outlets this week to raise awareness of Child Abuse Prevention. On Wednesday, November 24, staff members will read to children attending public preschools, Thursday, November 25, there is a parenting workshop, and on Friday, November 26, there is a celebration dubbed Go Blue Day. This is in honour of the Blue Bear, which is the symbol of child sexual abuse awareness. 

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) within the Ministry of Small Business and Entrepreneurship concluded its Global Entrepreneurship Week celebrations with a well-supported Business Expo on November 18, 2022. Senior Business Advisor within the SBDC Mr. Delwayne Delaney described the business expo as a success.
 
“The expo was definitely a success. We had over 27 businesses in different sectors within the small business industry. We had a cross-section of businesses from haircare, skincare, technology, you name it, we had it present and on showcase. It was very important for us to have this event to give some of the small businesses exposure. These businesses have been doing great work but were not being seen at the forefront. In speaking to some of these businesses they mentioned that they enjoyed the exposure. Yes, they were able to make some sales but from the broader picture they were able to get the necessary exposure with the general public that may help grow their business in the long term,” said Mr. Delaney.
 
The Ministry of Small Business and Entrepreneurship plans to increase government investment in small businesses by providing much-needed financing and training to business owners to help improve their marketing and productivity. 
 
“One of the things that we set out to achieve is the engagement of our manufacturers in a way in which we can see where their difficulties are so that we can provide a more targeted type of support. For instance, we would have an opportunity to look at the products and see things like costing to manufacture certain products to get them to market the cost of the imports at the border, and their ability to export products with logistics being a real impediment. With the items we had on display, we really need to get some of these items out in the region and we discussed with the small business owners how we can work together to make the situation better, particularly from a logistical standpoint. We are going to look into further training that will assist with cost evaluation in an effort to ensure that our local producers can remain competitive in the international marketplace,” said Director Mr. Philip Browne.
 
Global Entrepreneur Week 2022 was celebrated under the theme “Building Forward Better- Creating Equality and Equity through Entrepreneurship”. The Small Business Development Centre is located on the 1^st floor of the Nagico Building and all small business owners are encouraged to register their business with the unit.