WASHINGTON, DC — St. Kitts and Nevis has called for an honest acknowledgment of the shared history between Europe and the Americas, emphasising the importance of international partnerships in addressing present-day challenges and building a more equitable future.
Addressing a special sitting of the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States (OAS), St. Kitts and Nevis’ Ambassador to the OAS, Jacinth Henry-Martin, highlighted the legacy of Indigenous peoples, the forced migration and enslavement of Africans, and the resilience of generations who fought for freedom, identity and nationhood.
“The past has its place because truth cannot be washed away by centuries of rain, nor by the waters of the Atlantic across which our ancestors came,” she said. “To acknowledge these histories honestly is to establish firmer foundations for the relationships we build today.”
Henry-Martin said the encounter between Europe and the Americas and its aftermath had shaped the region’s languages, cultural diversity and social structures, including inequalities that continue to affect societies today.
The ambassador argued that acknowledging this complex history was essential to understanding the present and building a future based on collective action, collaboration and mutual respect.
For St. Kitts and Nevis, she said, sovereignty carries a continuing responsibility to remember the past, address inherited inequalities, strengthen institutions and expand opportunities.
The ambassador also pointed to climate vulnerability and external economic shocks as challenges that make constructive international partnerships essential. Such partnerships, she stressed, must be grounded in mutual respect and responsive to national priorities.
In this context, she recognised Spain as a partner in development and joined in commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Spanish Fund for the OAS.
Over the past two decades, the Fund has supported the organisation’s four pillars, helping strengthen its capacity to serve member states and supporting institutions that underpin sustainable development.
Its contributions to electoral observation, women’s political participation and access to justice have helped advance more inclusive societies. Henry-Martin also highlighted the Fund’s support for confidence-building efforts between Belize and Guatemala, describing the cooperation as particularly significant for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and an example of the role partnerships can play in strengthening trust and peaceful relations.
She said the Fund represents a bridge between Spain and the Americas, one that must be built on an honest understanding of shared history.
Friendship and partnership, she noted, offer a way to give that understanding practical meaning—not by erasing the past, but by working towards a more just future.
As the Fund enters its next decade, Henry-Martin welcomed continued engagement with Caribbean priorities, including climate resilience, digital inclusion, youth development and gender equality.
