The installation of Her Excellency Dame Marcella Liburd, GCMG, JP as the fifth Governor-General of St. Kitts and Nevis, and the first female to hold this important position, was described as a “significant milestone that has been long in coming.”

Prime Minister the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew expressed this sentiment on Saturday (February 04, 2023) while delivering remarks at the Installation Ceremony of Her Excellency Liburd at Government House.

Dr. Drew noted that finding the right balance of principles such as democracy and equity is worth fighting for in an imperfect world.

“Equity is one of those things that we must strive for, for it strengthens our ability to survive and build strong and vibrant societies,” he stated. “This glass ceiling that is being shattered today marks a great step in that direction in ensuring that our country joins that group where we are striving to establish equity as far as possible.”

The Prime Minister expressed his belief that societies will only achieve their full potential when all constituents have access to equal opportunities. This philosophy is demonstrated by the record number of women in the Cabinet of Ministers and the Federal Parliament, as well as those holding key leadership positions in government ministries and departments and statutory corporations since Dr. Drew was elected in August 2022.

“We should be extremely proud as a country, and as a nation, that the conditions are such that created the moment where we can finally say that in St. Kitts and Nevis, for all the years women would have struggled heading most of the households, keeping mostly all of the families together, ensuring that children, men and the country as a whole are taken care of, today we say to the world that St. Kitts and Nevis has advanced and we are once again charting that new course of ensuring that all have equal opportunity, especially our women,” Prime Minister Dr. Drew said.

Her Excellency Dame Liburd was applauded by Honourable Dr. Drew for her decades of public service as a teacher, parliamentarian, and government minister, among other notable public positions.

“Your life is a life of sacrifice and dedication. Dedication to the common good and not dedication to self-hood. You are a stark example not just only for women but for all of us in this country, and we should embody what you represent – country above self,” he said, citing the twin-island Federation’s motto.

The Honourable Prime Minister wished Her Excellency Liburd a successful tenure as her life of public service continues as Governor-General. Her Excellency Liburd was initially sworn in as Governor-General on February 01, 2023.

Her Excellency Dame Marcella Althea Liburd GCMG, JP, who was installed as the Federation’s first female and fifth Governor-General during a significant ceremony at Government House on Saturday, February 04, 2023, was described as a true leader by Deputy Prime Minister the Honourable Dr. Geoffrey Hanley.

“Your Excellency, your remarkable achievements are an example of what it means to be a patriot. Your passion and law for your nation and people are exemplary and have been the driving force throughout your career,” said Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Hanley, while delivering remarks at the installation ceremony. “You remind us that true leadership is not measured in the honours or distinctions behind someone’s name – although today you take on yet another title among many. Rather, true leadership is measured in what you do for those around you. It is measured in an ability to reach out and build a promising future for all.”

Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Hanley added that Her Excellency Dame Liburd’s “vision is needed for a better St. Kitts and Nevis” especially as the Federation “moves towards our concept of transforming our nation into a Sustainable Island State – a vision of innovation and progression.”

“Today, as our country takes this important step, I am confident that we have gained a leader who would ensure that the change we witnessed is one of hope, fairness and a brighter future for all of us,” said Dr. Hanley.

The Honourable Dr. Hanley spoke to the increased number of females who are occupying leading roles in St. Kitts and Nevis. He noted that this is a step to not only achieving a Sustainable Island State, but also gender equality and women’s empowerment, as these are fundamental human rights and a necessary foundation for a peaceful, prosperous and sustainable St. Kitts and Nevis.

“In this moment of unprecedented change, I recognize the significant movement towards gender parity within our Federation – an international effort of the St. Kitts and Nevis Labour Party Administration. We have demonstrated what it means to be committed to gender equality since taking office,” he said. “This dedication is reflected in our parliament which currently has the highest number of female members in its history and now we have once again made history with the first female Governor-General. The dedication can also be seen in our nominations on Boards of Government entities and within the Civil Service where women have been granted equal access to the highest advisory and technical posts.”

Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Hanley expressed thanks to Her Excellency Dame Liburd for “taking up the mantle to serve in true patriotism as the Head of State – the first female Governor-General of St. Christopher and Nevis.”

The Department of Physical Planning, which falls under the Ministry of Sustainable Development, on Thursday, 2^nd February, 2023, ended a three-day consultation at the NEMA Conference Room, on the update of the National Physical Development Plan (NPDP). It was last revised in 2006 and speaks specifically to the use of lands in St Kitts.

The NPDP guides all development and management of land and natural resources, zoning and location of developments.

Director of Physical Planning, Austin Farier said the consultations are intended to generate meaningful discussion in order for the Plan to be effective and efficient. The consultations, he said, must take an inter-ministerial approach to include agriculture, fisheries, manufacturing, energy, water, education, cultural preservation, environment and land management, among others.

Mr. Farier maintained that this approach is necessary because every sector wants to be prioritized. He added that living on a small island poses the challenge of not having enough land space. Therefore, the role of the planners is to advise on how much land should be allocated to each sector.

Michel Frojmovic, an urban planner based in Canada, who has consulted on various national land-use plans including the Urban Resilience Plan for a Greater Basseterre Project, said the purpose of reviewing the almost 17-year-old NDPD is to determine by sector, what mandates are required over the next 15 years.

He said, “Almost impossible to know but every sector wants more land, not less. There are some sectors, environment, biodiversity, where you want to see more environmental protection. There are so many acres on the island. So, how do you allocate it reasonably in the interest of the bigger vision?”

The bigger vision, he says, is always defined by the government.

He added, “Each sector has its own priorities. So, a National Physical Development Plan tries to understand what are all these priorities and how they translate into land use and how can we begin to give guidance for development that reflects a way to balance different priorities?”

Meanwhile, Director Farier said, based on the policies in the original plan, the consultations, which included experts and technical persons from the various sectors, will determine if these policies are effective, adhered to, and if not, consider their relevance going forward.

He said, “The history of how we use that plan is an indication of our future. If we don’t do anything, what happened in the past and what’s happening presently will continue if we don’t arrest it. If we want to arrest it now, what is the policy direction going forward and what are the implications on our lands to implement that policy?”

The Department of Physical Planning is working closely with the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) that is managing the National Development Plan on behalf of the wider project titled, “Improving Environmental Management through Sustainable Land Management in St Kitts and Nevis” that is funded by Global Environment Facility (GEF).

History was once again recorded in St. Christopher and Nevis on Saturday, February 04, 2023, when Her Excellency Dame Marcella Althea Liburd GCMG, JP, was installed as the Federation’s first female and fifth Governor-General during a significant ceremony at Government House.

His Majesty King Charles III gave the approval to confer the Honour of Dame Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George on Her Excellency Marcella Liburd.

“Today, I stand before you as your new Governor-General, humbled by the awesome task ahead, grateful for the trust bestowed on me by the Government and people of St. Christopher and Nevis and mindful of the blood, sweat and tears – the sacrifices made by our ancestors, those on whose shoulders we stand,” said Her Excellency Dame Liburd, during her Inaugural Address.

Her Excellency Dame Liburd pledged to take her role seriously and to be of service to all.

“As the first female to be elevated to the Office of Head of State, I am acutely aware of the history of the moment on my journey in service to the people of St. Christopher and Nevis, to the nation that I love so dearly. I am fully cognizant of my role as Governor-General and in the spirit of my Oaths, I affirm my commitment to serve all of my countrymen and women and my beloved country with humility, selflessness, excellence and integrity,” Her Excellency Dame Liburd added.

Governor-General Dame Liburd said that the “position demands firm leadership, critical decision-making in accordance with the Constitution and the law and unswerving commitment to integrity in all matters.”

Over the years, Her Excellency Dame Liburd has served the people of St. Christopher and Nevis in numerous capacities including teacher, athlete, lawyer, politician, parliamentarian, and Speaker of the House of Assembly.

“As a woman who has served my country at various levels of leadership and in multiple roles, I am confident that the experience garnered in these various roles will enhance my performance as Governor-General,” she said. “My readiness for service to this country, its citizens and residents, is paramount, unqualified and legendary. I, therefore, stand committed to making a difference in the execution of my duties and to making myself available to the citizens and residents of our beloved country.”

Her Excellency Dame Marcella Althea Liburd GCMG, JP, was officially sworn in as the first female and fifth Governor-General of St. Christopher and Nevis during a brief but significant ceremony at Government House on Wednesday, February 01, 2023.

The National Ozone Unit (NOU) within the Department of Environment continues its project work on the Montreal Protocol with student data collectors.

The Montreal Protocol, to which St Kitts and Nevis is party, addresses Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and is a landmark environmental agreement that controls the manufacture and the use of man-made chemicals that, in turn, damages the ozone layer which is a protective shield from the harmful radiation of the sun to humans and the environment.

Critical components of the Montreal Protocol include data collection and monitoring. The students are therefore charged with updating the three-year-old National Database of refrigeration and air conditioning technicians on both islands as part of the Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC) Phase-out Management Plan (HPMP) which is one of the programmes under the Montreal Protocol to phase out Ozone Depleting Substance (ODS).

In Stage 1 of the project, the students, who all study Natural Sciences, will engage at least seventy air condition and refrigerator technicians, especially in fisheries, yachting, and hotel sector, who, by nature of their jobs, deal directly with the gases that weaken the ozone layer. The objective of the project is to achieve at least a 35% reduction in Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) used in St. Kitts and Nevis.

Abygale Richards, former Cayon High School Environment Club member and a year two student of Natural Sciences at the Clarence Fitzroy Bryant College shared her anticipation in joining the project.

She said, “I am excited because I get to volunteer for the Montreal Protocol. I am just excited for the experience and opportunity because it may help me in the future.”

Meanwhile, Vicia Woods, Biosafety Officer in the Department of Environment, said one outcome from the data collection is opportunities for training for the technicians, owing to the fact that some did not have formal opportunities for apprenticeship.

She said, “The reason why we want to know this information is because for the same project, we want to provide the opportunities of training and also with the requisite tools. We also want to ensure that the technicians are up to date with the latest technologies. That is why we need as many persons as possible to know what is needed, what we have and how it is being used and how we can make it better.”

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Sharon Rattan said ultimately, the exercise seeks to complete the mapping of technicians, importers, and the use of their technologies.

She said, “The data being collected would assist the National Ozone Unit in being aware of the training, equipment and technology needs within the sector. With this information, the NOU will be better equipped to assist the sector in St. Kitts and Nevis in being compliant with the Montreal Protocol.”

Through this data collection exercise, possible outcomes include the establishment of a formal Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Association, reformation of policy and legislation, heightened public awareness, the establishment of licensing and certification systems and the development and implementation of a monitoring, evaluating and reporting mechanism.

In December 2022, the Minister of Environment et al, Hon. Dr. Joyelle Clarke, Permanent Secretary in the same Ministry, Sharon Rattan and Woods met with a visiting Montreal Protocol Monitoring Team to reaffirm St Kitts and Nevis’ commitment to implementing required project activities starting with the engagement of students, in particular, former CHS Environment Club members and Natural Sciences and Environmental Science students for the data collection for Phase 1 of the project activities.

The Department of Environment entered the second phase of communication activities for the Invasive Alien Species (IAS) Project by engaging Agricultural Experts.

The project aims to control what is considered invasive species or organisms that pose a threat to the environment like the green velvet monkey, brown rats and wild tamarind.

For this purpose, former Director of Agriculture, Melvin James and former Chief Extension Officer in the Nevis Island Assembly, Walcott James, have been contracted to build awareness and provide technical capacity to the farming community on both islands. This will be realized through a series of engagement exercises with key agricultural stakeholders like Extension Officers and farmers on the identification, control, management, and prevention of agricultural invasive alien species.

Eavin Parry, IAS Project Director in the Department of Environment, said contracting these two local agricultural experts is aimed at improving the awareness of farmers on proven techniques that can be applied to manage various invasive species affecting the farming communities across the Federation.

He said, “The consultancy also presents an opportunity to gain further insights into which invasive alien species are most problematic to farmers. Such insight might prove useful to inform policy and programme interventions.”

From the Ministry’s end, Hon. Dr. Joyelle Clarke, Minister of Environment, was pleased with the direction of the project.

She said, “We are happy to engage agricultural experts in going out to meet with our farmers, and identify the Invasive Alien Species, especially the plants and bug species affecting the farming. Secondly, to move forward in providing the list with species that are most affecting farmers and their management strategies towards sharing of information and knowledge and communicating best practices.”

In addition, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Environment et al. Sharon Rattan said during the next three months, the national communication work for the IAS project would include a number of engagement activities that include bringing school students on board for a final workshop and training session.

In the meantime, the activities include sensitization workshops with farmers on the type of IAS affecting them, in addition to ways to prevent, manage and control the species. It also includes training sessions with Agriculture Extension Officers on technical support related to the identification, prevention and management of invasive alien species on farms.

The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis continues to reform and strengthen the Alternative Pathways Lifestyle Programme (APLP) commonly known as the “Peace Programme,” by implementing training programmes and developmental avenues.

During a special interview with members of the media on Friday, February 03, 2023, at the Koi Resort, Prime Minister, the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew spoke to the continued strengthening of the programme to better assist registrants.

“We have continued with the payments, but we wanted, of course, to register people so that they can be properly paid. We are saying that people must work for what they get and that is why we are putting in all these training programmes and options for people,” said Prime Minister Dr. Drew. “We have to establish a principle here in St. Kitts and Nevis that if you are paid then it is because you would have worked, and so that is a national principle that we have to abide by.” That is one of the principles that must be introduced into the ‘Peace Programme’ because as you know they were in the programme; they were not paying any social security or social levy.”

Prime Minister Dr. Drew added that participants of the programme were not “given the opportunity to have a protected or secured future through the Social Security programme.” He noted that the government is working towards ensuring that contributions to Social Security are made for those on the programme.

Dr. Drew said that the goal of the APLP is to provide viable options for persons to become model citizens.

“So that the life of criminality is not a life that is attractive and a life that we want our people to be in, we are going to dig deep because we care about the young men, we have to care about our young people and I care about them,” said Prime Minister Dr. Drew. “I want to give them opportunities for them to really advance themselves, move on and to make sure that there is no recruitment of the young people. That is why we are putting in another programme that would deal with that group of young men who might be susceptible to being recruited so that once and for all everyone can have an opportunity to live a decent life in St. Kitts and Nevis,” Dr. Drew added.

Cash transfers under the Poverty Alleviation Programme (PAP) resumed on Friday, February 03, 2023.

“Today, we will start with paying about 2,300 persons,” Prime Minister the Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew shared on Friday during a Special Interview with members of the media at the Koi Resort.

The payments are being made to households in two categories in the first instance.

Recipients of the first payment are households headed by seniors, that is, persons 60 years and older, who identified as the main applicant during the registration period. The second is households headed by persons with disabilities.

Future payments to additional categories of beneficiaries will be made later in the month of February. Priority will be given to households with minors.

“The programme (PAP) will continue to roll out during this month, and so our citizens can expect further improvements to this programme,” the Prime Minister stated.

The Poverty Alleviation Programme provides a monthly stipend of $500 per month to households earning less than $3,000 per month. In November 2022, the Ministry of Social Development and Gender Affairs launched a new regularisation and registration process for the PAP after several irregularities were uncovered during a comprehensive review. The main objective was to ensure that qualifying persons in need of help benefit.

St. Kitts and Nevis is recognizing African influence on the traditions and cultural practices of the Federation during History and Heritage Month, which is observed in the month of February annually. This year’s theme is “Celebrating Four Hundred Years of African Ancestral Creativity and Ingenuity.”

Minister of Culture, the Honourable Samal Duggins, during an address to the Nation to commemorate the month, said that History and Heritage Month is solemn and important. He praised the Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park Society, Nevis Historical and Conservation Society, the Saint Christopher National Trust, and the Ministry of Culture for the tremendous role they play in educating citizens, residents and visitors about their history and heritage.

“They must be celebrated and supported for their unflinching efforts to preserve and shape our cultural history, traditions and practices. I want to reiterate my personal commitment to continue working in support of their efforts and lend my Ministry’s support in this important endeavour,” said Minister Duggins. “This presents an important opportunity to promote greater knowledge and understanding of the history, heritage, and culture of our country among our citizens as we work to engender a robust and expressive spirit of national identity and pride”.

Minister Duggins also credited the ingenuity of the Africans and their descendants in creating new forms of survival and resistance in the face of oppression. He noted that their skills, knowledge and resilience are used to build communities, establish new cultural traditions and create new forms of social and political organizations.

“St. Kitts and Nevis continues to demonstrate the creativity, ingenuity, and resilience of the contributions shared with the African continent that have helped to shape the cultural and economic developments of the world we live in today. History and Heritage Month is celebrated in the month of February each year,” he said. “St. Kitts and Nevis, along with other Caribbean islands, has been heavily influenced by African culture, particularly through the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade. Enslaved men, women, and children were brought with their cultural traditions, languages, music, religion, and cuisine, which have all had a lasting impact on Caribbean society and culture,” the Honourable Minister added.

History and Heritage Month is a time to recognize and celebrate rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories and to acknowledge the important contributions of Native peoples.