St. Kitts & Nevis to introduce single-sex education

Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas expressed concern about what he termed a gender imbalance at the University of the West Indies (UWI), which has been traced to the primary schools.

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts,  – St. Kitts and Nevis will introduce single-sex education for students from Grades Three to Six in primary schools come September.

Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas said it would begin at three of the larger primary schools in the country.

He expressed concern about what he termed a gender imbalance at the University of the West Indies (UWI), which has been traced to the primary schools.

“The number of females at this important institution now outnumbers the males by a ratio of more than two to one. This imbalance, clearly, is not one that magically emerges when our young people arrive at UWI. It is a trend that has been developing throughout the region over time. It is a trend that can be seen right there in the Federation and it is a trend, the signs of which are emerging early,” Dr. Douglas said.

St Kitts-Nevis seeing signs of economic recovery, says PM

BASSETERRE, St Kitts (CUOPM) -- St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas says there are signs of economic recovery in the twin-island Federation.

Addressing over 500 delegates, officials, representatives of the diplomatic corps and invited guests at the 79th annual conference of his governing St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party on Sunday, the national Labour Party leader and prime minister said the past few years have been very challenging.

National Political Leader of the governing St Kitts-Nevis Labour Party, Prime Minister Dr Denzil Douglas at the 79th Annual Labour Party Conference (Photo by Willett's Photo)
He noted, however, his government is already seeing signs that decisive policy actions will bring substantial long-term benefits for the Federation.

Keeping track of illegal guns

St. Kitts and Nevis will receive a Styliner Marking System from Schmidt Marking Systems so that all firearms in the country St. Kitts and Nevis will receive a Styliner Marking System from Schmidt Marking Systems so that all firearms in the country, includes.

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, Monday April 19, 2011 – St. Kitts and Nevis has another tool to deal with the trafficking of illegal guns into the twin-island Federation.

The country’s Permanent Representative to the Organisation of American States (OAS) in Washington, Ambassador Jacinth Henry-Martin, has signed a firearms marking and tracing agreement.

White House supports Nevis energy proposal

West Indies Power (WIP) proposes to supply geothermal energy to Puerto Rico, by 2015, via a submarine cable similar to what is already in use in Europe


CHARLESTOWN, Nevis, Thursday April 7, 2011 – The White House has given its support to the idea of a submarine electrical interconnection to supply low cost renewable “green” energy from Nevis, West Indies to Puerto Rico.

West Indies Power (WIP) proposes to supply geothermal energy to Puerto Rico, by 2015, via a submarine cable similar to what is already in use in Europe (Norway to Holland).

Caribbean tourism officials seek concessions from Europe

A report on the impact of this tax - produced by the CTO and presented to the Treasury and Department for Transport of Britain - shows that arrivals from the UK to the Caribbean are declining while those from other source markets are increasing.

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, Monday March 14 (By Peter Richards) - Caribbean officials gathered in Brussels for the region's annual tourism summit, the first to be held in Europe, are urging their biggest development partner to draft policies supporting the lifeblood sector and ease restrictions such as Britain's Air Passenger Duty (APD), which they say are holding back its growth.

Caribbean countries join anti-corruption mechanism

Haiti, St Kitts and Nevis and Antigua and Barbuda join 28 other states in becoming part of the initiative.

WASHINGTON, United States, – Three Caribbean member countries of the Organization of American States (OAS) confirmed their incorporation to the Mechanism for Follow-up on the Implementation of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption (MESICIC), joining 28 other states already part of this important regional tool.

In the framework of the Third Meeting of the Conference of the States Parties to the MESICIC, which started yesterday, Haiti and St Kitts and Nevis signed their integration to the mechanism, while Antigua and Barbuda will do so today.

In representation of their respective countries, the Director General of the Anti-Corruption Unit of Haiti, Amos Durosier, and the Attorney General of St Kitts and Nevis, Patrice Dwight Nisbett, signed the document that formalizes the integration of their governments to the inter-American mechanism.

“As new States Parties to this mechanism, the three Caribbean countries will benefit from the activities of cooperation conducted by the MESICIC to fight corruption,” the OAS said.

The mechanism is guided by the Inter-American Convention against Corruption, which was a world pioneer in this area and constitutes a holistic legal tool to confront the serious problem of corruption through preventive and repressive measures, not only at the national but also international level.

The MESICIC, which began to operate in 2002, is an intergovernmental body with broad opportunities of participation for civil society, established in the framework of the OAS to provide support in the implementation of the measures of the Inter-American Convention against Corruption.

It is organized by the Department for Legal Cooperation of the OAS Secretariat for Legal Affairs, and also serves as a forum for the exchange of information and reciprocal cooperation among the countries that are part of it, including best practices in the prevention of and fight against corruption.

CARICOM to launch multi-state travel document

The CARIPASS will allow CARICOM citizens and legal residents of Participating States over the age of 16 years to access a safe and secure automated self-processing gate within selected airports.

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, – The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) will soon launch one of the world’s first automated multi-state travel documents (CARIPASS) for use within 10 member states that will not only make regional travel easier, but help crack down on identity theft and illegal migration.

Participating countries will include Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago.

Installation of the CARIPASS System began last month and specific launch dates in each participating country is now dependent on the passing of relevant legislation.

The CARIPASS will allow CARICOM citizens and legal residents of Participating States over the age of 16 years to access a safe and secure automated self-processing gate within selected airports. Cardholders will benefit from the ease of expedited processing through immigration checkpoints when using the CARIPASS, which is the size of a credit card.

“The CARIPASS will also assist the region in the global fight against identity theft and illegal migration, given that the document is matched to the cardholder using both biometric and biographic data captured upon enrolment,” a statement from the CARICOM Secretariat said.

Under the coordination of the Implementation Agency for Crime and Security, the CARIPASS is another step in the movement towards standardized border control facilities within CARICOM, including training, entry and exit procedures and travel documents.