The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis continues to pursue several capital projects aimed at transforming the Federation into a sustainable island state, as well as implementing strategies to deliver economic growth.

One major project involves the improvement of the Federation’s infrastructure such as roads, electricity, technology, water and sanitation. This was outlined by Prime Minister the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew, during a special interview on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, with members of the media dubbed “The Roundtable.”

“Infrastructural development – that is why we are moving to have our massive housing programme rolled out. Construction is important and that is why we are discussing other investments in the economy. [We are also looking at] manufacturing in the food sector which we have signed on to with the AfreximBank, looking at providing chicken and fish, collaborating with our people. Investors into the chicken industry would be coming in and that will help to boost our local people,” said Dr. Drew. “So, we have been pursuing a number of projects which we are going to launch – the road project in St. Peter’s, the playing field in Conaree. We have a number of capital projects that we want to get going.”

Prime Minister Dr. Drew noted that other sectors will be looked at in order to diversify the economy.

“We are looking at pushing the manufacturing sector, agriculture, tourism, entertainment and the orange economy. We are looking at energy as a sector as well, pushing to have a renewable energy source, and then the construction sector or the infrastructural sector where we are now looking at pushing out a number of capital projects that we have on the books,” said the Prime Minister. “We will pursue other aspects of the economy to expand them so that we can diversify the economy and limit our dependence on just one sector. We think we are on the right path to doing that and we have discussed this vigorously with the World Bank, the IMF and we will see a number of things continue to take place,” he added.

Dr. Drew said that it is essential to promote and enhance sustainability in St. Kitts and Nevis.

“We want people to come into St. Kitts and Nevis. We want St. Kitts and Nevis to be the busiest country because that is how we are going to continue to expand our tourism sector. That is why we are pursuing geothermal and solar energy aggressively because we believe we have the opportunity to create energy as a sector, or at the very least, cut down on the subsidies through a more reasonable cost energy source,” said Prime Minister Dr. Drew. “I am pleased with the results we are seeing thus far in tourism… and I am also pleased that we have investors coming in looking at the manufacturing sector including agriculture as well.”

The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis continues to outfit the Joseph N. France General Hospital with up-to-date equipment needed to carry out life-saving procedures which were allowed to fall into disrepair under the former administration.

While updating the nation on several matters of national importance during a special interview with the media on Wednesday, April 19, 2023, Prime Minister and Minister of Health, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew said his administration inherited a health system where much of the machinery was very old and in serious need of replacement. 

“It’s as if the equipment were totally abandoned. We have a problem with the anesthesiology equipment in the theatre; we have a problem with the cabinet that mixes the chemotherapeutic drug; we have problems with making sure the blood bank can take blood at almost any time. In every aspect of the hospital, there is a problem that was left to be dealt with…but we have made the decision that the hospital will be an accredited hospital and you will see significant improvements over time,” Prime Minister Dr. Drew said.

The Prime Minister also spoke of the acquisition of a state-of-the-art microscope for the Ophthalmic Unit at the hospital that is essential for conducting eye surgeries.

“We are going to resume very shortly eye surgeries. As you know, with the previous administration, the machines had broken down; they had not purchased the machines. We have purchased the machines for eye surgery, and we are supposed to restart [surgeries] in the next couple of weeks. We had bought the major machine which cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars. We have now bought the other smaller pieces which were supposed to have arrived today, plus the type of medication to be used, and the main Ophthalmologist should be back to work today so in quick order we should be back to operating at the hospital,” said Dr. Drew.

The Director of Health Institutions stated recently that eye surgeries were ceased at the hospital since July 2022.

The Health Minister said his Government was also successful in securing new dialysis machines for the hospital “because as you know when we got there we thought that it wasn’t enough. As a medical doctor, I knew that and so we have procured them.”

In addition, Dr. Drew said four specialists are being brought in that will enhance the delivery of healthcare services in St. Kitts and Nevis. The specialists coming in will assist in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), the emergency room, neurology and in biotechnology.

The Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew has hailed the recently concluded CARICOM Regional Symposium on “Crime and Violence as a Public Health Issue” a success, stating that he is confident the resolutions from that symposium will lead to a reduction in crime across the Caribbean region.
 
The two-day symposium which was held in Trinidad and Tobago ended with a Declaration by Heads of Government on Crime and Violence as a Public Health Issue which includes, inter alia, the decision to undertake a comprehensive overhaul of the criminal justice system to address criminal terrorists with a focus on proactive management of prosecutions, sentencing and the diversion of young people at risk; the strengthening of regional forensic capabilities and collaboration among national forensic agencies with a view to improving the quality of evidence and speed the conduct of trials; and the immediate and effective implementation of the CARICOM Arrest Warrant Treaty.
 
“As a region, I strongly believe we are taking the right approach and will yield tremendous results now and in the future. St. Kitts and Nevis is ready and willing to move forward from research evidence and experience to robust and sustained action as we implement these evidence-based solutions along with our Caribbean partners and international partners as well,” said Prime Minister Dr. Drew during a roundtable interview with members of the media today, Wednesday, April 19, 2023.
 
The honourable Prime Minister reiterated his position taken during the symposium that an evidence-based approach is needed to tackle the crime problem the region faces.
 
He said, “In my presentation, I made mention of Marcus Garvey, an outstanding political activist, who once said, ‘man is a product of his mind’.  In other words, in reference to violence, it can be said that violence is a learned behavior. However, as a medical doctor, I tend to seek for evidence analyzing data. I tend to look for research and I believe that what is learned can be unlearned if there is a definition of the issue and early application of best practice interventions, and as I’ve said before this must be based on science and evidence. Therefore, I feel hopeful that the crime and violence situation within the Caribbean can be addressed effectively with proper analysis of the evidence and data that have been collated over the years.”   
 
Prime Minister Dr. Drew also commended Psychiatrist and former Ambassador of St. Kitts and Nevis to the United States and the Organization of American States (OAS), H.E. Dr. Izben Williams who delivered the featured remarks at the symposium.
 
Dr. Drew said, “I want to applaud him for doing an excellent job, and his research over the years of course really was in dealing with crime and violence from a public health standpoint, and I think it is now being recognized that he has, I would say, some of the answers to deal with this issue.”
 
The Declaration by Heads of Government on Crime and Violence as a Public Health Issue also includes an agreement to ban assault weapons in the region, except for security forces and sporting competitions; an agreement to stand with Mexico on its legal action against US gun manufacturers and retailers; empowering and engaging young people as positive content developers to offset the negative impact of social media and engage with the creative industries to re-engineer culturally acceptable norms; and to promote public awareness and education campaigns in communities that challenge harmful beliefs, attitudes and behaviours that contribute to crime and violence.

Island Innovation’s Island Finance Forum kicked off on Tuesday morning bringing island leaders and stakeholders from across the world together virtually.  Foreign Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas joined the Governor of Guam, the Deputy Premier of Bermuda, and fellow Foreign Minister from Tuvalu in addressing six thousand island stakeholders representing government, research, and innovators and private sector representatives from across the world.

The Foreign Minister, during his intervention, urged the global community to reform the global financial architecture that locked small island states out of concessional financing for sustainable development. He lauded the efforts of Prime Minister Motley of Barbados and expressed hope for a positive outcome of the joint meeting organised by Barbados and France in Paris in June on a New Global Financial Pact. The Foreign Minister, who also holds responsibility for Industry, Investment and Economic Development, underscored that the Administration’s Sustainable Island State vision depends on the ability of vulnerable islands like Saint Kitts and Nevis to access finance on the international market. He reiterated the Prime Minister’s call for the IFIs to implement a Multi-Dimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI) that privileges the Caribbean’s unique vulnerability to natural disasters like hurricanes.

In calling for an overhaul of the neo-colonial world order and international financial architecture the Foreign Minister called for “bridging the gap between the G7 and the G77. In recalling the institutional bias against small island states in the Global South, the Foreign Minister invoked anti-Apartheid activist Randall Robinson by stating, “We all have to die, and I preferred to have just one death. But it seems to me that to suffer insult without response is to die many deaths.”  The calls for climate justice, environmental justice and reparatory justice were central to the Foreign Minister’s intervention.

Dr. Douglas’ intervention was a call to action for Small Island States and an invitation from potential partners to visit and work with the Federation for win-win partnerships on strategic projects in green technology, sustainable agriculture, and light manufacturing.  Dr. Joyelle Clarke, the Minister for Sustainable Development, Environment, Climate Action, and Constituency Empowerment will also join the conference to talk about the future of sustainable development policy. The Island Finance Forum takes place from 18^th-20^th April under the theme “Investments for Sustainable Development”.

Over 100 staff members from all seven (7) Departments within the Ministry of Sustainable Development, as well as other volunteers, took to the Independence Square on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, to initiate a phased beautification project as part of Good Deeds Day observed on April 16.

Good Deeds Day was initiated in 2007 and is celebrated in April. It is a global movement of people who are dedicated to doing good deeds. According to www.pointsoflight.org, each year, hundreds of thousands of people put into practice the simple idea that every single person can do something good, be it large or small, to improve the lives of others and positively change the world.

Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Climate Action, the Honourable Dr. Joyelle Clarke, said that it was important to implement such an initiative.

“We found it important to join Good Deeds Day in terms of doing something good. Outside of the fact that the Department of Constituency Empowerment and the Ministry of Environment have been promoting ‘waste is our responsibility…’ we recognize the importance of protecting Independence Square,” said Dr. Clarke. “Independence 40 is upon us. This is a space that is used not just by our locals but also by our visitors and we have to keep it clean. That is why we started here as part of our Good Deeds Day initiative.”

Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Sherilita Dore-Tyson shared similar sentiments adding that Independence Square is high traffic area which made its selection quite fitting.

“The square is a very significant place historically and culturally. It is also a place where lots of activities are held and so we want to make the place comfortable, user and environmentally – friendly,” said PS Dore-Tyson. “Now that the Ministry of Sustainable Development has taken over the square, we are encouraging the general public not to litter in the square and to help us [care] for the square. It is our place, our space, it is our comfortable place in the heart of beautiful Basseterre.”

Phynora Ible, Executive Director of Chipeen Volunteer Center, said that this year for the first, St. Kitts and Nevis is participating in Goods Deeds Day on a wider level. She encouraged organizations in the Federation to participate in a meaningful way.

“We are asking organizations to do something simple as having a day of hugs or as elaborate as a community project, helping someone in need or a group of persons who are in need,” said Ms. Ible. “We are excited for St. Kitts and Nevis to be a part of this great movement in 2023.”

The Chipeen Volunteer Centre is a nonprofit organization that connects volunteers with volunteer opportunities in St. Kitts and Nevis. In the past, they have partnered with the local Department of Community Development and Social Services. They also partner with the international organization called Good Deeds Day.

The 2023 edition of St. Kitts and Nevis’ Diplomatic Week will showcase for the first time a Diplomatic Boulevard slated for Thursday, April 27. The aim of this special feature is to afford the general public an opportunity to meet and interact with the diplomats.

While appearing on the Government’s weekly radio and television programme “Infocus” on Wednesday, April 12, Kaye Bass, Permanent Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, shed some light on what to expect at the Diplomatic Boulevard.

“In the past when ambassadors came to St. Kitts and Nevis for Diplomatic Week they would meet generally only with high-level officials but this year we introduce what we call diplomatic boulevard and this will facilitate greetings of the ambassadors with the public,” said PS Bass.

Ms. Bass said that the hope is that the general public, especially students, will use the opportunity to discover more about diplomacy and hopefully develop an interest.

“The general public will have access to the ambassadors so they can ask them any question. We suspect that there will be students who will ask what [they may] need to do in order to become an ambassador, what subjects are needed and what educational track [they should] follow in order to become an ambassador,” she said. “We hope that the engagement with the public will not only heighten awareness about what Foreign Affairs does but it will also motivate and encourage younger persons to pursue this career.”

PS Bass noted that the addition of the diplomatic boulevard to this year’s Diplomatic Week, as well as the week itself, is in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #17 – Partnership for the Goals, which speaks to “strengthening the means of implementation and revitalizing the global partnership for sustainable development.”

According to PS Bass, the Diplomatic Boulevard was scheduled to be set up on Central Street. However, it will be merged with the Agriculture Open Day, providing the diplomats not only with an opportunity to interact with the public, but also to experience what happens at Agriculture Open Day and what St. Kitts and Nevis produces.

Diplomatic Week 2023, slated for April 23-28, will be held under the theme: “Driving Change: Advancing a Vision for a Sustainable Island State.”

Upon the receipt by Hon. Dr. Geoffrey Hanley, Minister of Education with responsibility for UNESCO matters, of a summary report of UNESCO activities implemented in the Federation over 2022 by the St. Kitts and Nevis National Commission, he responded by stating, “These mid-term outcomes are ‘compelling’”.

Each National Commission of the 192 UNESCO Member States is responsible for overseeing the UNESCO-led financial and technical assistance in the areas of its mandate of education, science and cultural and included in UNESCO’s 2022 Annual Report of national commission activities.

Secretary-General of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Commission for UNESCO, Ms. Dorothy Warner, noted that these are exciting times for the national commission. She stated, “The Federation has enjoyed an active and productive 2022, rolling out several tangible UNESCO-led activities”.

These included the following projects, backed by UNESCO funding and the deployment of experts to:

• Strengthen the education policy framework of St. Kitts and Nevis, notably in professionalising the teaching force and enhancing the national accreditation scheme.

• Set the parameters for integrating education for sustainable development (ESD) in the national education curriculum

• launch the 1^st phase of a national intangible cultural heritage campaign to identify and preserve local customs and traditions

• conduct a data-gathering exercise for technical and policy analysis to influence

decision-making related to water use in St. Kitts and Nevis

• map an implementation plan for the Earth Network Initiative in the St. Mary’s Biosphere Reserve aimed at developing the cultivation, preservation and monetization of biodiversity-led sustainable agriculture processes in the reserve.

• finalise a national sport policy framework and make significant progress towards achieving full compliance with the Anti-doping in Sport standards (now at 76.4%).

The year was also marked by the following St. Kitts & Nevis ministers’ participation in UNESCO-hosted conferences:

• Hon. Minister Konris Maynard addressed the UN-Water Summit on Groundwater at UNESCO in December
• Hon. Minister Samal Duggins addressed an audience of 152 global cultural ministers at the MONDIACULT conference held in Mexico City in September. He shared his vision for the Federation as it moves towards a new model of culture and creative industries. 

Our success story

The summary report also included a UNESCO request that all Member States’ commissions identify ‘one success story’ during 2022.   St. Kitts and Nevis listed the “milestone event” in scaling up its Intangible Cultural Heritage activities aimed at developing a national ICH policy framework.  On the approval of an application for the project entitled: ‘Safeguarding St. Kitts and Nevis ICH – Developing a National ICH Policy’, St. Kitts and Nevis secured US$91,252.00, accompanied by technical assistance to implement this project to safeguard the knowledge of tradition bearers, and preserve individual ICH elements.  This follows a previously-completed (2021) ICH project: ‘Strengthening Inventory Preparation Capacity for Implementing the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in St. Kitts and Nevis’, backed by US$99,443.00 of UNESCO’s funds.


Future priorities

Commenting on the priorities for 2023, St. Kitts and Nevis Ambassador to UNESCO, H.E. David Doyle, identified two major projects on which he and the Secretary-General would collaborate as follows:

“In terms of high-profile and value-added UNESCO projects, we are in the process of implementing the UNESCO Earth-Science Network Initiative in the St. Mary’s Biosphere Reserve, with a completion date of September this year. The project seeks to address specific biodiversity challenges associated with agricultural practices, tools and methods used in the Reserve. The overall aim is to embrace better use of tropical forests, enhance the cultivation of new fruits and combat soil erosion.”

“Another priority this year is updating the St. Kitts and Nevis Tentative List of potential cultural heritage sites. With the support of technical advice provided by UNESCO experts, and funded under the UNESCO WH Upstream Process, the Ministry of Culture will cooperate with local cultural heritage stakeholders to identify a focused series of historical cultural heritage sites across St. Kitts and Nevis, in terms of their Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) for preparing a Tentative List of such sites. Ultimately, one of the chosen sites will be nominated by the Ministry of Culture as a candidate to be potentially listed on the prestigious UNESCO Cultural Heritage List.”
Commenting on the mid-term report, Minister Hanley, Chairman of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Commission, and a former teacher stated, “I am always keen on mid-term reports.  St. Kitts and Nevis has excelled in a wide range of areas under the UNESCO mandate.  Importantly, with UNESCO expertise, we are adding value in terms of strengthening the Federation’s education policy framework as well as landing tangible projects ranging from biodiversity conservation to preserving the country’s rich historical and cultural heritage”.

Minister Hanley extends his appreciation to everyone who continues to support the efforts of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Commission for UNESCO, especially all focal point persons who coordinate their various activities to account for these success stories of which we can all be justly proud.

The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis and the United Kingdom’s Hydrographic Office signed a bilateral agreement on April 17, 2023, at the Tourism Conference Room to further enhance sea safety.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism, Tivanna Wharton said “The intensity of maritime traffic in the Caribbean Sea has certainly created the need for coastal states in the Caribbean including St. Kitts and Nevis to promote safety at sea.”

“In St. Kitts and Nevis, our economies are heavily reliant on the shipping sector, in particular in tourism and trade, but overall of which have positive effects on the overall economic development of the Federation and so with the associated risk of maritime transports, it is therefore incumbent on all of us to ensure that our ports develop the capability and capacity to mitigate those risks,” said the Permanent Secretary.

She also stated that the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis is a signatory to the Safety of Life at Sea Convention and that the country has a legal obligation to provide accurate and up-to-date nautical charts and other navigational information to ensure the safety of navigation in our waters.

The United Kingdom Hydrographic Office’s Deputy Chief Executive and National Hydrographer, Rear Admiral Rhett Hatcher, said that it was his pleasure to take part in the signing ceremony.

“This will allow us to further develop the already excellent relationship we have in sharing the task of producing Safety of Life At Sea (SOLAS) compliant charts and publications to support safe navigation in all of your waters,” he said.

“It will also allow the increased sharing of marine geospatial data for use and supporting a myriad of functions including but not limited to national security, renewable energy, environment and climate change issues, tourism, and the wider blue economy so important to island nations like yours and mine,” said Rear Admiral Hatcher.

Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew addressed the CARICOM Regional Symposium on “Crime and Violence as a Public Health Issue – The Crime Challenge” today (April 17) where he pointed out that an evidence-based approach is needed to effectively tackle the crime problem in the region. The two-day Symposium is being held in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, from 17-18 April, 2023.
 
“The Caribbean has a proud track record of solving and mitigating major public health issues through robust, evidence-guided intervention programmes. We had to deal with AIDS and HIV, not as individual countries, but we dealt with it as a region with evidence-based approaches and we have success. We are also dealing with NCDs (non-communicable diseases) and we are dealing with that issue from an evidence-based perspective. And today, we are taking that bold step and that is why I am optimistic because we have seen the evidence and we are willing to put the political will, using that evidence, to solve violence from a public health perspective,” said Prime Minister Dr. Drew.
 
Prime Minister Dr. Drew serves as the Minister of National Security and Health in the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis and as CARICOM’s Lead Head with responsibility for Human Resource Development, Health & HIV/AIDS.
 
The St. Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister reminded the gathering of the far-reaching effects of crime and violence and their associated impact on economies. 
 
He said, “Public health and security experts can produce maps of violence hotspots. They know the demographics and geographics of clusters. There are graphs of incidence versus time which depict a series of epidemiological curves. Therefore, the violence challenge in the Caribbean appears to be well characterized as a public health issue with ominous social and economic implications. Neither good health nor development is possible in a climate of violence.”
 
“I regard this Regional Symposium, therefore, as a coalition of the willing. Notwithstanding the delays because of a pandemic, there is a window of opportunity to move the needle now to solutions. Our people must see and must feel solutions now,” Dr. Drew said.
 
Prime Minister Dr. Drew ended his presentation at the Regional Symposium with a quote from Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former President of Finland, Martti Ahtisaari that says, “If the political will is there, we can solve anything.”
 
The Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew added, “From today’s presentations by the Heads of Government, the interactions and the erudite presentations they would have made tell me that the political will is there.”
 
During the symposium, participants will hear the experiences and perspectives of technical experts in crime prevention and public health. Participants will also seek to identify priority actions and an action plan for a public health response.

The St. Kitts Electricity Company (SKELEC) continues to provide a reliable source of energy for the country as it upgrades its mechanisms for distributing power.
 
During an April 14^th walk-through of the SKELEC Needsmust Power Plant by the Minister of Public Infrastructure, the Honourable Konris Maynard, he said, “This week we are testing out and having under observation the new alternator that has been added to ‘G1’ which is a six-megawatt generator at the plant.”
 
“This means in a short time that that they will officially hand over to operations added capacity of six megawatts of power to the plant,” said Minister Maynard. “This is great news as this means that we have added some capacity so that we can complete other tasks in the plant such as attacking other generators.”
 
“I came today to have a look first-hand to see what is happening and so I have seen that the alternator has been installed, the work has been completed, and now we are on the road to getting six megawatts of extra capacity at the power station,” said Minister Maynard.
 
He also added that the Ministry of Public Infrastructure is seeking to complete another upgrade by the end of 2023 by adding another three megawatts of extra capacity to the power station.
 
Minister Maynard also took the opportunity to thank the employees at SKELEC for their service in maintaining the power grid in St. Kitts.