The United Nations recently held a high-level plenary meeting at its headquarters in New York to commemorate the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. The Right Honourable Dr. Denzil Douglas, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Saint Kitts and Nevis, attended the meeting during his participation in the General Assembly, demonstrating the country’s steadfast support for the prohibition and complete elimination of these dangerous weapons.
Saint Kitts and Nevis has consistently shown its commitment to dismantling nuclear weapons by becoming a state party to various international agreements targeting this issue. The country has also enacted domestic legislation to uphold its stance as a nuclear-free zone.
During the meeting, speeches were delivered on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) by His Excellency Brian Wallace, the Permanent Representative to the United Nations of Jamaica, and on behalf of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) by the Permanent Representative to the United Nations of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. The CARICOM statement emphasized the exorbitant cost of maintaining nuclear arsenals and suggested redirecting resources towards addressing pressing issues like poverty, healthcare, and climate change. The CELAC representative highlighted the region’s commitment to nuclear disarmament, as declared in a 2011 communiqué that called for the total elimination of nuclear weapons and established the area as a Zone of Peace.
The United Nations has taken a leading role in diplomatic efforts to promote nuclear disarmament, with all Secretaries-General actively pursuing this goal. Secretary-General Guterres, in his address at the meeting, underscored the imperative of eliminating nuclear weapons to prevent the potentially catastrophic humanitarian consequences of their use.
Saint Kitts and Nevis will continue advocating for the total elimination of nuclear weapons as a moral obligation in its pursuit of global peace. The Minister of Foreign Affairs was accompanied by Ms. Kaye Bass, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Ms. Lecia Phipps, Third Secretary at the Saint Kitts and Nevis Permanent Mission in New York, further demonstrating the country’s dedication to this cause.