Last Updated on September 23, 2022, 4:33 AM AST by Anthony Morris
Minister of Foreign Affairs of St Kitts and Nevis, Dr Denzil Douglas has formally commenced his participation in the 77th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York with several bilateral and regional engagements on September 21, 2022
Chief amongst these engagements was a brief ceremony signalling the establishment of diplomatic relations with Andorra, a small state in Southwestern Europe. Foreign Minister Dr Douglas and his Andorran counterpart, Foreign Minister Maria Ubach Font, discussed the possibility of bilateral cooperation on climate action and tourism, including indigenous approaches.
The exchange emphasised the multiple similarities between the two small nations. Andorra is a small mountainous country with a population of approximately 80,000. Like St Kitts and Nevis, tourism is also Andorra’s leading economic driver. Both Foreign Ministers exchanged invitations to visit each other’s jurisdiction.
On September 21, Foreign Minister Dr Douglas also met with Abdulla Shahid, Foreign Minister of the Maldives, who was also the President of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
In a brief bilateral meeting, the Foreign Ministers discussed issues of mutual importance to the small island nations, including the representation of small states in the international fora.
The Maldives has been credited for introducing the subject of the nexus between human rights and climate change, an agenda item that St Kitts and Nevis have supported.
The Marshall Islands and Cuba are current Members of the Human Rights Council (HRC), but whose terms are set to expire this year. The Maldives has therefore presented its candidature for the upcoming period of time. If it does not succeed, there will be no small island developing state to advance our interests on the Human Rights Council.
Therefore, the Maldives intends, if successful, to use its seat on the Council to further advance issues of human rights and climate change, especially for small island developing states.
Singapore, another small international state, convened a Foreign Ministers of CARICOM meeting, which Dr Douglas attended. Singapore, a leader in small states in multilateralism, established the Forum of Small States (FOSS) in 1992 and has Chaired the Forum for the last 30 years. St Kitts and Nevis is a member of the FOSS, an informal group of 108 small states from all world regions. Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Singapore, pledged to forge even greater cooperation with the CARICOM Member States.
St Kitts and Nevis enjoy a vibrant diplomatic relationship with Singapore, primarily through technical cooperation and training programs building capacity.
This important schedule of meetings has reinforced the reality that we can use our small size to forge ties with countries with similar challenges and aspirations.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
