United Nations, New York, (June 25, 2025) – Saint Kitts and Nevis participated in, and advocated for the right to self-determination on behalf of the British Virgin Islands at the recently concluded Special Committee on Decolonization Session held at the United Nations from June 9 to June 20, 2025.
The federation was represented by H.E. Dr. Mutryce Williams and Special Committee on Decolonization Expert Mrs. Lecia Phipps. During the session, Saint Kitts and Nevis made interventions on several key agenda issues including:
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· The Question of the British Virgin Islands: Saint Kitts and Nevis reaffirmed its solidarity with the people of the British Virgin Islands and emphasized the importance of self-determination and decolonization.
· The Question of Falkland Islands (Malvinas): Saint Kitts and Nevis reiterated its support for the peaceful resolution of the dispute between Argentina and United Kingdom and emphasized the need for negotiations to find a lasting solution.
· The Question of Western Sahara: Saint Kitts and Nevis expressed its support for the efforts of the United Nations to find a just and lasting solution to the question of Western Sahara and emphasized the importance of self-determination for the people of Western Sahara.
Ambassador Williams and Special Committee on Decolonization Expert Phipps met with British Virgin Islands Premier Honourable Dr. Natalio Wheatley, and Special Envoy Mr. Benito Wheatley on the margins of the session to reaffirm Saint Kitts and Nevis’s commitment to the British Virgin Islands. The delegations discussed ways to strengthen and enhance cooperation, in the areas of national security, trade, tourism, and disaster risk management. Opportunities for cultural exchange and people-to-people diplomacy were also ventilated.
The Special Committee on the Situation regarding the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples was established in 1961 by the United Nations General Assembly (GA), as its subsidiary organ devoted to the issue of decolonization, pursuant to GA resolution 1654 (XVI) of 27 November 1961.
The C-24 was mandated to (i) examine the application of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples and (ii) to make suggestions and recommendations on the progress and extent of the implementation of the Declaration.
The Committee annually reviews the list of Non-Self-Governing Territories to which the Declaration is applicable. It also hears statements from representatives of the Non-Self-Governing Territories at its annual sessions, dispatches visiting missions to Non-Self-Governing Territories and annually organizes regional seminars. Currently, the C-24 consists of 29 members including St. Kitts and Nevis.
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