BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - THE ties between St. Kitts-Nevis and the Commonwealth are expected to be strengthened with the latter pledging to explore additional avenues of assistance for the Federation and its people.
This announcement was made yesterday (May 14) by the Secretary General to the Commonwealth, Kamalesh Sharma, during a joint press conference with Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dr. Denzil L. Douglas.
He explained that the Federation “has been a longstanding contributor to the shares resources of our association, which is reflected in particular in the Commonwealth Fund of Technical Cooperation”, and has seen notable benefits including debt assistance, the development for an OECS tourism policy and judiciary support (training).
He informed that the commitment is to add human rights, the support of culture and institutions of democracy and youth to the areas of focus.
Expounding on how the Commonwealth intends to assist the Federation in the area of youth, Sharma explained that it would be “working with the Government to establish a national youth policy as well as a national youth council, just as both of these are being established and advanced in other Commonwealth member states in recognition of the critical importance of ensuring the views and needs of young people are taken into account in all relevant aspects of public life and public policy”.
Regarding human rights, the Secretary General said one of the main focus areas is the formation of a national human rights institution.
He indicated that the Commonwealth would be “assisting to follow up those recommendations from the last United National Universal Periodic Review in Geneva which have been accepted by St. Kitts and Nevis, particularly the establishment of a national human rights institution that has international ‘A’ status in accordance with the Paris Principles”.
Improvements to the electoral and related processes are subsumed in the support which the Commonwealth is seeking to give the Federation concerning its institutions of democracy.
Sharma explained that it would be “assisting in the implementation of recommendations made in the past by Commonwealth election observers, including the development of a media code of conduct that provides equitable access to the media for all political parties during elections where progress is being made; support to the Boundaries Commission, where we progress is being made to reflect better the population changes and movements that have occurred since the boundaries were last determined in 1984; support the development of legislation governing finances during election campaigns and strengthening the transparency and inclusiveness of the appointment process for the Supervisor of Elections and Election Commissioners”.
The Federation’s involvement in the Commonwealth Electoral Network as a means of realising Commonwealth norms within the Federation is also an area of intended focus.
