| SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Joined United Nations: 16 September 1980 Human Rights as assured by their constitution Click here Updated 05/20/10 |
| CAPITAL |
| POPULATION |
| CHIEF OF STATE |
| SELECTION PROCESS |
Kingstown
104,574 (July 2009 est.)
Elizabeth II of United Kingdom
Queen since 6 February 1952
Queen since 6 February 1952
The monarch is hereditary and holds that position for life or until
abdication. The Governor General is selected by the Queen.
Next scheduled election: None
abdication. The Governor General is selected by the Queen.
Next scheduled election: None
HEAD OF GOVERNMENT
SELECTION PROCESS
Dr. Ralph E. Gonsalves
Prime Minister since 29 March 2001
Prime Minister since 29 March 2001
Following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or
leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister
by the governor general
Next scheduled election: December 2010
leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister
by the governor general
Next scheduled election: December 2010
| DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS |
| ETHNIC GROUPS |
Black 66%, mixed 19%, East Indian 6%, Carib Amerindian 2%, other 7%
| RELIGIONS |
Anglican 47%, Methodist 28%, Roman Catholic 13%, Hindu, Seventh-Day Adventist, other Protestant
| GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE |
Parliamentary democracy; 6 parishes. Legal system is based English common law
Executive: Monarch represented by Governor General; Prime Minister is typical the leader of the majority party or
coalition appointed by the governor general
Legislative: unicameral House of Assembly (21 seats, 15 elected representatives and 6 appointed senators;
representatives are elected by popular vote from single-member constituencies to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 7 December 2005 (next to be held December 2010)
Judicial: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based on Saint Lucia; one judge of the Supreme Court resides in Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines)
Executive: Monarch represented by Governor General; Prime Minister is typical the leader of the majority party or
coalition appointed by the governor general
Legislative: unicameral House of Assembly (21 seats, 15 elected representatives and 6 appointed senators;
representatives are elected by popular vote from single-member constituencies to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 7 December 2005 (next to be held December 2010)
Judicial: Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (based on Saint Lucia; one judge of the Supreme Court resides in Saint
Vincent and the Grenadines)
| LANGUAGES |
English, French patois
| BRIEF HISTORY |
Carib Indians aggressively prevented European settlement on St. Vincent until the 18th century. Enslaved Africans --
whether shipwrecked or escaped from Barbados, St. Lucia and Grenada and seeking refuge in mainland St. Vincent, or
Hairouna as it was originally named by the Caribs -- intermarried with the Caribs and became known as Garifuna or
Black Caribs. Beginning in 1719, French settlers cultivated coffee, tobacco, indigo, cotton, and sugar on plantations
worked by enslaved Africans. In 1763, St. Vincent was ceded to Britain. Restored to French rule in 1779, St. Vincent
was regained by the British under the Treaty of Paris (1783) in which Great Britain officially recognized the end of the
American Revolution. Ancillary treaties were also signed with France and Spain, known as the Treaties of Versailles of
1783, part of which put St. Vincent back under British control. Conflict between the British and the Black Caribs, led by
defiant Paramount Chief Joseph Chatoyer, continued until 1796, when General Sir Ralph Abercromby crushed a revolt
fomented by the French radical Victor Hugues. More than 5,000 Black Caribs were eventually deported to Roatán, an
island off the coast of Honduras. Slavery was abolished in 1834. After the apprenticeship period, which ended
prematurely in 1838, labour shortages on the plantations resulted in the immigration of indentured servants. The
Portuguese came from Madeira starting in the 1840s and shiploads of East Indian labourers arrived between 1861-1880.
Conditions remained harsh for both former slaves and immigrant agricultural workers, as depressed world sugar prices
kept the economy stagnant until the turn of the century. From 1763 until independence, St. Vincent passed through
various stages of colonial status under the British. A representative assembly was authorized in 1776, Crown Colony
government installed in 1877, a legislative council created in 1925, and universal adult suffrage granted in 1951. During
this period, the British made several unsuccessful attempts to affiliate St. Vincent with other Windward Islands in order to
govern the region through a unified administration. The colonies themselves, desirous of freedom from British rule, made a
notable attempt at unification called West Indies Federation, which collapsed in 1962. St. Vincent was granted associate
statehood status on October 27th, 1969, giving it complete control over its internal affairs. Following a referendum in
1979, under Milton Cato St. Vincent and the Grenadines became the last of the Windward Islands to gain independence
on the 10th anniversary of its associate statehood status, October 27th, 1979. Natural disasters have featured in the
country's history. In 1902, La Soufrière volcano erupted, killing 2,000 people. Much farmland was damaged, and the
economy deteriorated. In April 1979, La Soufrière erupted again. Although no one was killed, thousands had to be
evacuated, and there was extensive agricultural damage. In 1980 and 1987, hurricanes compromised banana and coconut
plantations; 1998 and 1999 also saw very active hurricane seasons, with Hurricane Lenny in 1999 causing extensive
damage to the west coast of the island.
Source: Wikipedia History of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
whether shipwrecked or escaped from Barbados, St. Lucia and Grenada and seeking refuge in mainland St. Vincent, or
Hairouna as it was originally named by the Caribs -- intermarried with the Caribs and became known as Garifuna or
Black Caribs. Beginning in 1719, French settlers cultivated coffee, tobacco, indigo, cotton, and sugar on plantations
worked by enslaved Africans. In 1763, St. Vincent was ceded to Britain. Restored to French rule in 1779, St. Vincent
was regained by the British under the Treaty of Paris (1783) in which Great Britain officially recognized the end of the
American Revolution. Ancillary treaties were also signed with France and Spain, known as the Treaties of Versailles of
1783, part of which put St. Vincent back under British control. Conflict between the British and the Black Caribs, led by
defiant Paramount Chief Joseph Chatoyer, continued until 1796, when General Sir Ralph Abercromby crushed a revolt
fomented by the French radical Victor Hugues. More than 5,000 Black Caribs were eventually deported to Roatán, an
island off the coast of Honduras. Slavery was abolished in 1834. After the apprenticeship period, which ended
prematurely in 1838, labour shortages on the plantations resulted in the immigration of indentured servants. The
Portuguese came from Madeira starting in the 1840s and shiploads of East Indian labourers arrived between 1861-1880.
Conditions remained harsh for both former slaves and immigrant agricultural workers, as depressed world sugar prices
kept the economy stagnant until the turn of the century. From 1763 until independence, St. Vincent passed through
various stages of colonial status under the British. A representative assembly was authorized in 1776, Crown Colony
government installed in 1877, a legislative council created in 1925, and universal adult suffrage granted in 1951. During
this period, the British made several unsuccessful attempts to affiliate St. Vincent with other Windward Islands in order to
govern the region through a unified administration. The colonies themselves, desirous of freedom from British rule, made a
notable attempt at unification called West Indies Federation, which collapsed in 1962. St. Vincent was granted associate
statehood status on October 27th, 1969, giving it complete control over its internal affairs. Following a referendum in
1979, under Milton Cato St. Vincent and the Grenadines became the last of the Windward Islands to gain independence
on the 10th anniversary of its associate statehood status, October 27th, 1979. Natural disasters have featured in the
country's history. In 1902, La Soufrière volcano erupted, killing 2,000 people. Much farmland was damaged, and the
economy deteriorated. In April 1979, La Soufrière erupted again. Although no one was killed, thousands had to be
evacuated, and there was extensive agricultural damage. In 1980 and 1987, hurricanes compromised banana and coconut
plantations; 1998 and 1999 also saw very active hurricane seasons, with Hurricane Lenny in 1999 causing extensive
damage to the west coast of the island.
Source: Wikipedia History of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
| ECONOMIC OVERVIEW |
Success of the economy hinges upon seasonal variations in agriculture, tourism, and construction activity as well as
remittance inflows. Much of the workforce is employed in banana production and tourism, but persistent high
unemployment has prompted many to leave the islands. This lower-middle-income country is vulnerable to natural
disasters - tropical storms wiped out substantial portions of crops in 1994, 1995, and 2002. In 2008, the islands had
more than 200,000 tourist arrivals, mostly to the Grenadines, a drop of nearly 20% from 2007. Saint Vincent is home
to a small offshore banking sector and has moved to adopt international regulatory standards. The government's ability
to invest in social programs and respond to external shocks is constrained by its high debt burden - 25% of current
revenues are directed towards debt servicing. An agreement with Italy to write-off debt reduced the public
debt-to-GDP ratio to about 70%. Following the global downturn, St. Vincent and the Grenadines saw an economic
decline in 2009, after slowing since 2006, when GDP growth reached a 10-year high of nearly 7%. The
GONSALVES administration is directing government resources to infrastructure projects, including a new international
airport that is expected to be completed in 2011.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
remittance inflows. Much of the workforce is employed in banana production and tourism, but persistent high
unemployment has prompted many to leave the islands. This lower-middle-income country is vulnerable to natural
disasters - tropical storms wiped out substantial portions of crops in 1994, 1995, and 2002. In 2008, the islands had
more than 200,000 tourist arrivals, mostly to the Grenadines, a drop of nearly 20% from 2007. Saint Vincent is home
to a small offshore banking sector and has moved to adopt international regulatory standards. The government's ability
to invest in social programs and respond to external shocks is constrained by its high debt burden - 25% of current
revenues are directed towards debt servicing. An agreement with Italy to write-off debt reduced the public
debt-to-GDP ratio to about 70%. Following the global downturn, St. Vincent and the Grenadines saw an economic
decline in 2009, after slowing since 2006, when GDP growth reached a 10-year high of nearly 7%. The
GONSALVES administration is directing government resources to infrastructure projects, including a new international
airport that is expected to be completed in 2011.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Saint Vincent and the Grenadines)
| POLITICAL CLIMATE |
Founded in 1955, the Saint Vincent Labour Party (SVLP), under Milton Cato, gained the support of the middle class.
With a conservative law-and-order message and a pro-Western foreign policy, the SVLP dominated politics from the
mid-1960s until the mid-1980s. Following victories in the 1967 and 1974 elections, the SVLP led the island to
independence, winning the first post-independence election in 1979. Expecting an easy victory for the SVLP in 1984,
Cato called early elections. The results were surprising: with a record 89% voter turnout, James Fitz-Allen Mitchell's
New Democratic Party (NDP) won nine seats in the house of assembly.
Since the 1984 election, politics in St. Vincent have been dominated by the NDP. Bolstered by a resurgent economy in
the mid-1980s, Mitchell led his party to an unprecedented sweep of all fifteen House of Assembly seats in the 1989
elections. The opposition emerged from the election weakened and fragmented but was able to win three seats during
the February 1994 elections under a "unity" coalition. In 1998, Prime Minister Mitchell and the NDP were returned to
power for an unprecedented fourth term but only with a slim margin of eight seats to seven seats for the Unity Labour
Party (ULP). The NDP was able to accomplish a return to power while receiving a lesser share of the popular vote,
approximately 45% to the ULP's 55%. In March 2001, the ULP, led by Ralph Gonsalves, assumed power after
winning twelve of the fifteen seats in Parliament. The party was returned to power under the same leadership in
December 2005, holding the same twelve seats in Parliament. The opposition New Democratic Party is currently
contesting the election results through legal means, citing what it calls "irregularities" in the election process.
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
With a conservative law-and-order message and a pro-Western foreign policy, the SVLP dominated politics from the
mid-1960s until the mid-1980s. Following victories in the 1967 and 1974 elections, the SVLP led the island to
independence, winning the first post-independence election in 1979. Expecting an easy victory for the SVLP in 1984,
Cato called early elections. The results were surprising: with a record 89% voter turnout, James Fitz-Allen Mitchell's
New Democratic Party (NDP) won nine seats in the house of assembly.
Since the 1984 election, politics in St. Vincent have been dominated by the NDP. Bolstered by a resurgent economy in
the mid-1980s, Mitchell led his party to an unprecedented sweep of all fifteen House of Assembly seats in the 1989
elections. The opposition emerged from the election weakened and fragmented but was able to win three seats during
the February 1994 elections under a "unity" coalition. In 1998, Prime Minister Mitchell and the NDP were returned to
power for an unprecedented fourth term but only with a slim margin of eight seats to seven seats for the Unity Labour
Party (ULP). The NDP was able to accomplish a return to power while receiving a lesser share of the popular vote,
approximately 45% to the ULP's 55%. In March 2001, the ULP, led by Ralph Gonsalves, assumed power after
winning twelve of the fifteen seats in Parliament. The party was returned to power under the same leadership in
December 2005, holding the same twelve seats in Parliament. The opposition New Democratic Party is currently
contesting the election results through legal means, citing what it calls "irregularities" in the election process.
Source: Wikipedia: Politics of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
| INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES |
Joins other Caribbean states to counter Venezuela's claim that Aves Island sustains human habitation, a criterion under
UNCLOS, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean
Sea
UNCLOS, which permits Venezuela to extend its EEZ/continental shelf over a large portion of the eastern Caribbean
Sea
| REFUGEES AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDP) |
None reported.
| ILLICIT DRUGS |
Transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; small-scale cannabis cultivation
| HUMAN RIGHTS STATEMENTS, ANALYSIS AND CRITIQUES |
2009 Human Rights Report: Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a multiparty, parliamentary democracy with a population of approximately 118,400. In 2005
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves' Unity Labour Party (ULP) was returned to office in elections that international observers assessed
as generally free and fair. On November 25 citizens voted on a referendum that observers also found generally free and fair. Civilian
authorities generally maintained effective control of the security forces.
Although the government generally respected the human rights of its citizens, there were continued problems in a few areas,
primarily:
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is a multiparty, parliamentary democracy with a population of approximately 118,400. In 2005
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves' Unity Labour Party (ULP) was returned to office in elections that international observers assessed
as generally free and fair. On November 25 citizens voted on a referendum that observers also found generally free and fair. Civilian
authorities generally maintained effective control of the security forces.
Although the government generally respected the human rights of its citizens, there were continued problems in a few areas,
primarily:
- impunity for police who used excessive force,
- poor prison conditions,
- an overburdened court system,
- violence against women,
- abuse of children.
28 May 2008
PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF ALL HUMAN RIGHTS, CIVIL, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND
CULTURAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO DEVELOPMENT
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Leandro Despouy
SITUATIONS IN SPECIFIC COUNTRIES OR TERRITORIES* **
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Communications sent
252. On 13 February 2007, the Special Rapporteur sent a joint urgent appeal together with the Special Representative of the
Secretary-General on the situation of human rights defenders regarding Ms. Nicole Sylvester, President of the St Vincent and the
Grenadines Human Rights Association (SVGHRA), and the President of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Bar Association.
According to the information received, on 25 January 2008, Ms. Nicole Sylvester received an anonymous telephone call at her
home. The caller reportedly warned her to cease working on a particular case and reminded her that she had a family. On 2
February, Ms. Sylvester’s vehicle was followed by a white jeep, reportedly of the type used by the police’s Special Services Unit.
On 4 February, she was approached near her office by a police officer who advised her to be careful as she was being followed.
According to reports, Ms. Kay Bacchus-Browne, a lawyer and member of the SVGHRA, was also followed by a white jeep on the
morning of 4 February. Ms. Sylvester and other lawyers from the SVGHRA have been representing a woman police officer who
has alleged that she was raped by the Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines on 3 January 2008. The police reportedly
refused to file her complaint and advised her to leave the country for a while. Her lawyers filed two private criminal complaints at
the Magistrate’s Court on 31 January. The Director of Public Prosecutions reportedly halted the investigation, as permitted under
the country’s Constitution, claiming that there was not sufficient evidence for the case to go to court.
Communications received
253. On 5 March 2008, the Permanent Mission of Saint Vincent and the grenadines to the United Nations responded to the
communication sent on 13 February 2008. The Government affirms that the allegations contained in the communication sent on 14
February 2008 are false. According to the Government, Police investigations have revealed no evidence to suggest that either Ms.
Sylvester or Ms. Bacchus-Browne, have been intimidated. In addition, the Commissioner of Police stated that no vehicles have been
assigned to follow Ms. Sylvester or Ms. Bacchus-Browne. The alleged anonymous telephone call to Ms. Sylvester occurred priory
to her notifying the Police Force that she was involved in the case. Moreover, to imply that the Police acted improperly in the
handling of the accuser’s allegations against the Hon. Prime Minister, given the dearth of corroborating evidence and the accuser’s
own refusal to provide the Police with their statement. The Government also states that a number of investigations have been
undertaken, a medical examination has taken place and two judicial procedures are ongoing. Regarding the investigations, it is stated
that the Police has investigated the accuser’s - Ms. Sylvester- allegations, even though the accuser requested the Police to refrain
from doing so.
Special Rapporteur’s comments and observations
255. The Special Rapporteur thanks the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for its answers to the communication.
However, he remains concerned by the fact that the Government’s response mainly concerns the actions taken in the case in which
the Prime Minister is accused of rape. However, the Government does not answer the questions related to the harassment suffered
by Ms. Sylvester and Ms. Bacchus-Browne, attorneys of the alleged victim of the rape case. The Government only states that
“Police investigations have revealed no evidence to suggest that either Ms. Sylvester or Ms. Bacchus-Browne, have been
intimidated” without explaining why or what are the bases of this conclusion.
Click here to read more »
PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF ALL HUMAN RIGHTS, CIVIL, POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND
CULTURAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING THE RIGHT TO DEVELOPMENT
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Leandro Despouy
SITUATIONS IN SPECIFIC COUNTRIES OR TERRITORIES* **
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Communications sent
252. On 13 February 2007, the Special Rapporteur sent a joint urgent appeal together with the Special Representative of the
Secretary-General on the situation of human rights defenders regarding Ms. Nicole Sylvester, President of the St Vincent and the
Grenadines Human Rights Association (SVGHRA), and the President of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Bar Association.
According to the information received, on 25 January 2008, Ms. Nicole Sylvester received an anonymous telephone call at her
home. The caller reportedly warned her to cease working on a particular case and reminded her that she had a family. On 2
February, Ms. Sylvester’s vehicle was followed by a white jeep, reportedly of the type used by the police’s Special Services Unit.
On 4 February, she was approached near her office by a police officer who advised her to be careful as she was being followed.
According to reports, Ms. Kay Bacchus-Browne, a lawyer and member of the SVGHRA, was also followed by a white jeep on the
morning of 4 February. Ms. Sylvester and other lawyers from the SVGHRA have been representing a woman police officer who
has alleged that she was raped by the Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines on 3 January 2008. The police reportedly
refused to file her complaint and advised her to leave the country for a while. Her lawyers filed two private criminal complaints at
the Magistrate’s Court on 31 January. The Director of Public Prosecutions reportedly halted the investigation, as permitted under
the country’s Constitution, claiming that there was not sufficient evidence for the case to go to court.
Communications received
253. On 5 March 2008, the Permanent Mission of Saint Vincent and the grenadines to the United Nations responded to the
communication sent on 13 February 2008. The Government affirms that the allegations contained in the communication sent on 14
February 2008 are false. According to the Government, Police investigations have revealed no evidence to suggest that either Ms.
Sylvester or Ms. Bacchus-Browne, have been intimidated. In addition, the Commissioner of Police stated that no vehicles have been
assigned to follow Ms. Sylvester or Ms. Bacchus-Browne. The alleged anonymous telephone call to Ms. Sylvester occurred priory
to her notifying the Police Force that she was involved in the case. Moreover, to imply that the Police acted improperly in the
handling of the accuser’s allegations against the Hon. Prime Minister, given the dearth of corroborating evidence and the accuser’s
own refusal to provide the Police with their statement. The Government also states that a number of investigations have been
undertaken, a medical examination has taken place and two judicial procedures are ongoing. Regarding the investigations, it is stated
that the Police has investigated the accuser’s - Ms. Sylvester- allegations, even though the accuser requested the Police to refrain
from doing so.
Special Rapporteur’s comments and observations
255. The Special Rapporteur thanks the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines for its answers to the communication.
However, he remains concerned by the fact that the Government’s response mainly concerns the actions taken in the case in which
the Prime Minister is accused of rape. However, the Government does not answer the questions related to the harassment suffered
by Ms. Sylvester and Ms. Bacchus-Browne, attorneys of the alleged victim of the rape case. The Government only states that
“Police investigations have revealed no evidence to suggest that either Ms. Sylvester or Ms. Bacchus-Browne, have been
intimidated” without explaining why or what are the bases of this conclusion.
Click here to read more »
FREEDOM IN THE WORLD 2010 REPORT
Political Rights Score: 2
Civil Liberties Score: 1
Status: Free
Overview
In November, the ruling Unity Labour Party and Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves suffered a major blow when a national
referendum on constitutional reform was soundly defeated, ending a hotly disputed debate that had dominated the political scene in
2009.
Gonsalves was charged with sexual assaults on two women in 2008, though both cases were subsequently dropped. Opposition
legislators boycotted a parliamentary session over the issue, but Gonsalves threatened to declare the seats vacant and open them for
elections.
In 2009, the politics of St. Vincent and the Grenadines became increasingly polarized over a November referendum to replace the
country’s 1979 constitution with one produced by a government-appointed Constitution Review Commission. Following six years
of deliberations, the proposed constitution featured several important changes, such as opening national elections to members of the
clergy and dual citizens and the inclusion of strong provisions against forced labor. It also ruled that marriage could only exist
between a biological man and a biological woman. The opposition strongly opposed the new constitution for falling short of fully
reforming the government, and former prime minister James Mitchell said the document should be burned.
On November 25, the constitutional reform failed to pass a national referendum, receiving support from only 43 percent of voters
with 56 percent opposed. The apparent unpopularity of the constitutional reform, which would have required approval from a two-
thirds majority of voters, places the ruling ULP in an awkward position with one year of the prime minister’s term remaining.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an electoral democracy. The December 2005 legislative elections were considered free and fair
by international observers. The constitution provides for the election of 15 representatives to the unicameral House of Assembly to
serve five-year terms. The prime minister is the leader of the majority party. Six senators are appointed to the chamber—four
chosen by the government and two by the opposition. A governor-general represents the British monarch as head of state.
Click here to read more »
Political Rights Score: 2
Civil Liberties Score: 1
Status: Free
Overview
In November, the ruling Unity Labour Party and Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves suffered a major blow when a national
referendum on constitutional reform was soundly defeated, ending a hotly disputed debate that had dominated the political scene in
2009.
Gonsalves was charged with sexual assaults on two women in 2008, though both cases were subsequently dropped. Opposition
legislators boycotted a parliamentary session over the issue, but Gonsalves threatened to declare the seats vacant and open them for
elections.
In 2009, the politics of St. Vincent and the Grenadines became increasingly polarized over a November referendum to replace the
country’s 1979 constitution with one produced by a government-appointed Constitution Review Commission. Following six years
of deliberations, the proposed constitution featured several important changes, such as opening national elections to members of the
clergy and dual citizens and the inclusion of strong provisions against forced labor. It also ruled that marriage could only exist
between a biological man and a biological woman. The opposition strongly opposed the new constitution for falling short of fully
reforming the government, and former prime minister James Mitchell said the document should be burned.
On November 25, the constitutional reform failed to pass a national referendum, receiving support from only 43 percent of voters
with 56 percent opposed. The apparent unpopularity of the constitutional reform, which would have required approval from a two-
thirds majority of voters, places the ruling ULP in an awkward position with one year of the prime minister’s term remaining.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an electoral democracy. The December 2005 legislative elections were considered free and fair
by international observers. The constitution provides for the election of 15 representatives to the unicameral House of Assembly to
serve five-year terms. The prime minister is the leader of the majority party. Six senators are appointed to the chamber—four
chosen by the government and two by the opposition. A governor-general represents the British monarch as head of state.
Click here to read more »
Proposed Constitution Facilitates Death Penalty
By Peter Richards
KINGSTOWN, Sep 8, 2009 (IPS)
For human rights groups like Amnesty International and the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Human Rights Association (SVGHRA),
Nov. 25 will be more than just another day in the Caribbean.
They will be anxiously following the outcome of a national referendum in St. Vincent and the Grenadines for a new constitution to
replace the 1979 document that was handed down to the island when it gained political independence from Britain.
If the estimated 120,000 people give the Ralph Gonsalves government the approval it is seeking, they will also be sending a message
to anti-death penalty opponents and human rights groups that they support state executions of persons convicted of murder.
The last execution in the English-speaking Caribbean – Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana,
Grenada, Jamaica, St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago – was carried out in St.
Kitts last December when Charles Elroy Laplace, who had been on death row for four years, was hanged for murdering his wife.
In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the last execution took place in February 1995. There are currently three people on death row.
Amnesty International used the execution of Laplace to renew its call to Caribbean governments to do away with the death penalty,
even as it acknowledged that while executions have become increasingly rare, support for the death penalty in the region is high.
Regional governments have continued to blame the London-based Privy Council for rulings designed to block executions by the
state and in 2001, amid concerns that they were establishing a "hanging court", established the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of
Justice (CCJ).
But with the exception of Guyana and Barbados, the Privy Council still serves as the final court of appeal for the Commonwealth
Caribbean.
Prime Minister Gonsalves says the new constitution "better protects a person's right to life by ensuring that the deterrence of the
death penalty for murder will be employed without being subject to a set of bizarre unreasonable and unacceptable judge made
restrictions".
He made special reference to Clause 29 which he says "restores the death penalty and insulates it from further assaults by judges".
Click here to read more »
By Peter Richards
KINGSTOWN, Sep 8, 2009 (IPS)
For human rights groups like Amnesty International and the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Human Rights Association (SVGHRA),
Nov. 25 will be more than just another day in the Caribbean.
They will be anxiously following the outcome of a national referendum in St. Vincent and the Grenadines for a new constitution to
replace the 1979 document that was handed down to the island when it gained political independence from Britain.
If the estimated 120,000 people give the Ralph Gonsalves government the approval it is seeking, they will also be sending a message
to anti-death penalty opponents and human rights groups that they support state executions of persons convicted of murder.
The last execution in the English-speaking Caribbean – Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Guyana,
Grenada, Jamaica, St Lucia, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago – was carried out in St.
Kitts last December when Charles Elroy Laplace, who had been on death row for four years, was hanged for murdering his wife.
In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the last execution took place in February 1995. There are currently three people on death row.
Amnesty International used the execution of Laplace to renew its call to Caribbean governments to do away with the death penalty,
even as it acknowledged that while executions have become increasingly rare, support for the death penalty in the region is high.
Regional governments have continued to blame the London-based Privy Council for rulings designed to block executions by the
state and in 2001, amid concerns that they were establishing a "hanging court", established the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of
Justice (CCJ).
But with the exception of Guyana and Barbados, the Privy Council still serves as the final court of appeal for the Commonwealth
Caribbean.
Prime Minister Gonsalves says the new constitution "better protects a person's right to life by ensuring that the deterrence of the
death penalty for murder will be employed without being subject to a set of bizarre unreasonable and unacceptable judge made
restrictions".
He made special reference to Clause 29 which he says "restores the death penalty and insulates it from further assaults by judges".
Click here to read more »
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Child Soldier Global Report 2001
From the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers
Grenada, Saint Lucia, Dominica, Saint Vincent and Grenadine and Saint Kitts and Nevis have police forces only, although some
paramilitary training is provided for special units. The police are generally organised and supervised according to British law
enforcement practices. None of these Caribbean states has a system of conscription into security forces and, therefore, recruitment
is on a voluntary basis only.
June 12, 2001 Multi Country Report
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Landmine Monitor Report 2000
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997. It is the only member of the Organisation of
Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) that has not yet ratified the ban treaty, even though it told Landmine Monitor in April 1999 that
ratification would take "another three weeks."28 In response to a letter from Mines Action Canada (MAC), Mr. George Bullen, High
Commissioner of the Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States in Ottawa, wrote that he has forwarded MAC's concerns about
the delay in ratification on to the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Click here to read more »
Child Soldier Global Report 2001
From the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers
Grenada, Saint Lucia, Dominica, Saint Vincent and Grenadine and Saint Kitts and Nevis have police forces only, although some
paramilitary training is provided for special units. The police are generally organised and supervised according to British law
enforcement practices. None of these Caribbean states has a system of conscription into security forces and, therefore, recruitment
is on a voluntary basis only.
June 12, 2001 Multi Country Report
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines: Landmine Monitor Report 2000
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997. It is the only member of the Organisation of
Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) that has not yet ratified the ban treaty, even though it told Landmine Monitor in April 1999 that
ratification would take "another three weeks."28 In response to a letter from Mines Action Canada (MAC), Mr. George Bullen, High
Commissioner of the Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States in Ottawa, wrote that he has forwarded MAC's concerns about
the delay in ratification on to the Government of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Click here to read more »
Statement By Dr. The Honourable Ralph E. Gonsalves
Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of St. Vincent and the Grenadines
At the United Nations Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development
25th June, 2009
New York
Mr. President,
Contrary to the official title of this Conference, we view our global family as ensnared in more than an a mere financial and
economic crisis. Rather, it is profoundly a crisis of capitalist globalisation; of international capitalism in crisis. Although there has
been “regulatory failure” of the banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions, all this is reflective of the triumph of a
neo-liberal ideology, which sought to roll back any interventionist role of the democratic state. The organs of the State, so the neo-
liberal thesis went, were to be minimalist; the international capitalist system driven by “the market” was best left to be self-
regulatory, according to the neo-liberal ideologues.
The chickens have come home to roost as the poor and the working people suffer consequentially. The worst crisis in international
capitalism since 1929-31 has come upon us. Caribbean countries, including Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, suffer from the
socioeconomic fall-out. We are casualties, nay victims, from this external crisis not of our own making.
The real, current and future impacts on national development are numerous. Poverty and unemployment are rising worldwide,
straining already fragile social safety nets. Foreign Direct Investment is scarcer and smaller. Commodity price volatility and
contractions in world trade strain fragile budgets. Official Development Assistance is receding. And our regional aspirations for
timely achievement of the Millennium Development Goals seem increasingly remote.
We speak not to point the finder of blame, but to point the path to collective recovery from this global depression. The noble and
pragmatic people of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are less enamoured with esoteric ideological problems than their practical
solutions. These solutions necessarily include the quest for economic and political space, which is critical to develop our economies
and improve our people’s living standards. In this quest for enhanced “space”, the role of the State is vital. The democratic state
has been a force for good in our region and it cannot retreat especially in the current circumstances. But the State must exhibit a
more profound and effective democratic governance. Secondly, our solutions must be lodged within a regional and appropriate
internationalist context. Thirdly, a comprehensive framework has to be elaborated and implemented to build a modern, competitive,
many-sided post-colonial economy which is at once local, national, regional, and global. Fourthly, a necessary and desirable
sociocultural rubric must be unfurled in practice to ennoble further our Caribbean civilisation and an authentic historical
reclamation. And fifthly, the entire project must be people-centred in life, production and rewards.
Click here to read more »
Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of St. Vincent and the Grenadines
At the United Nations Conference on the World Financial and Economic Crisis and its Impact on Development
25th June, 2009
New York
Mr. President,
Contrary to the official title of this Conference, we view our global family as ensnared in more than an a mere financial and
economic crisis. Rather, it is profoundly a crisis of capitalist globalisation; of international capitalism in crisis. Although there has
been “regulatory failure” of the banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions, all this is reflective of the triumph of a
neo-liberal ideology, which sought to roll back any interventionist role of the democratic state. The organs of the State, so the neo-
liberal thesis went, were to be minimalist; the international capitalist system driven by “the market” was best left to be self-
regulatory, according to the neo-liberal ideologues.
The chickens have come home to roost as the poor and the working people suffer consequentially. The worst crisis in international
capitalism since 1929-31 has come upon us. Caribbean countries, including Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, suffer from the
socioeconomic fall-out. We are casualties, nay victims, from this external crisis not of our own making.
The real, current and future impacts on national development are numerous. Poverty and unemployment are rising worldwide,
straining already fragile social safety nets. Foreign Direct Investment is scarcer and smaller. Commodity price volatility and
contractions in world trade strain fragile budgets. Official Development Assistance is receding. And our regional aspirations for
timely achievement of the Millennium Development Goals seem increasingly remote.
We speak not to point the finder of blame, but to point the path to collective recovery from this global depression. The noble and
pragmatic people of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are less enamoured with esoteric ideological problems than their practical
solutions. These solutions necessarily include the quest for economic and political space, which is critical to develop our economies
and improve our people’s living standards. In this quest for enhanced “space”, the role of the State is vital. The democratic state
has been a force for good in our region and it cannot retreat especially in the current circumstances. But the State must exhibit a
more profound and effective democratic governance. Secondly, our solutions must be lodged within a regional and appropriate
internationalist context. Thirdly, a comprehensive framework has to be elaborated and implemented to build a modern, competitive,
many-sided post-colonial economy which is at once local, national, regional, and global. Fourthly, a necessary and desirable
sociocultural rubric must be unfurled in practice to ennoble further our Caribbean civilisation and an authentic historical
reclamation. And fifthly, the entire project must be people-centred in life, production and rewards.
Click here to read more »
St Vincent and the Grenadines: Harassment of Nicole O. M. Sylvester
20 April 2009
Mr Cerio Lewis
High Commissioner
St Vincent & the Grenadines High Commission
10 Kensington Court
London W8 5DL
Fax: 0207 937 6040
Dear Sir/Madam,
RE: Nicole O. M. Sylvester, President of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Human Rights Association
We are writing on behalf of the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) concerning the treatment of
lawyer Nicole O. M. Sylvester.
The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) works to promote, protect and enforce human rights under a
just rule of law. We believe in the fundamental right of the world’s citizens to have disputes heard and determined by an
independent judiciary, and for judges and lawyers to be able to practice freely without interference.
Ms Sylvester and other lawyers from the St Vincent and the Grenadines Human Rights Association have been representing a female
police officer in a high profile rape case involving your Prime Minister, Ralph Gonsalves.
The IBAHRI has received reports that Ms Sylvester has suffered harassment at the hands of what appear to be official bodies in
your country. We understand that on the 25 January 2008, Ms Sylvester received an anonymous telephone call at her home, in
which she received threats directly related to the case. Reports suggest that on the 2 February 2009, Ms Sylvester, whilst on her
way to a meeting, was followed by a white jeep, reportedly of the type used by the police’s Special Services Unit. We understand
that Ms Sylvester has also had an intruder enter her home.
Click here to read more »
20 April 2009
Mr Cerio Lewis
High Commissioner
St Vincent & the Grenadines High Commission
10 Kensington Court
London W8 5DL
Fax: 0207 937 6040
Dear Sir/Madam,
RE: Nicole O. M. Sylvester, President of the St Vincent and the Grenadines Human Rights Association
We are writing on behalf of the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) concerning the treatment of
lawyer Nicole O. M. Sylvester.
The International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) works to promote, protect and enforce human rights under a
just rule of law. We believe in the fundamental right of the world’s citizens to have disputes heard and determined by an
independent judiciary, and for judges and lawyers to be able to practice freely without interference.
Ms Sylvester and other lawyers from the St Vincent and the Grenadines Human Rights Association have been representing a female
police officer in a high profile rape case involving your Prime Minister, Ralph Gonsalves.
The IBAHRI has received reports that Ms Sylvester has suffered harassment at the hands of what appear to be official bodies in
your country. We understand that on the 25 January 2008, Ms Sylvester received an anonymous telephone call at her home, in
which she received threats directly related to the case. Reports suggest that on the 2 February 2009, Ms Sylvester, whilst on her
way to a meeting, was followed by a white jeep, reportedly of the type used by the police’s Special Services Unit. We understand
that Ms Sylvester has also had an intruder enter her home.
Click here to read more »
08 September, 2009
St Vincent ponders change to republic
Guyana, Dominica and Trinidad and Tobago among Commonwealth Caribbean nations have done it.
Now St Vincent and the Grenadines is being asked to follow suit and ditch Queen Elizabeth of Britain as the country's head of state.
The people of the a multi-island State comprising inhabited and uninhabited islands, islets and cays, will vote in a referendum in
November to change the constitution handed down at the island's independence in 1979.
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves hopes it will be replaced by what he called a "nationalist, home-grown constitution".
He said: "The end of the monarchical system and its replacement by a home-grown, non-executive President is of immense
practical and psychological significance.
"This act of historical reclamation is part of the process of our people coming of age ...."
In effect, the Queen, represented on St Vincent by a native Governor-General, would be replaced by a largely ceremonial president.
Hangings
A local government system is on the cards with some autonomy promised for the Grenadine islands.
One of the more controversial areas of the constitution is the retention of the death penalty and new clauses to insulate it against
"judge-made restrictions".
Dr Gonsalves, along with many Caribbean governments which retain the Privy Council, has been angered by rulings which have
effectively ended hangings in much of the region.
Local and international human rights activists have, as expected, strongly criticised this recommended change.
But the Prime Minister insists that 90% of the 100,000 or so Vincentians already support capital punishment.
He also referred to another sensitive subject that is thought to have overwhleming backing among locals - the entrenchment of
marriage as a union between men and women.
The independent Delhi-based Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, while acknowledging that the new constitution makes
significant progress on human rights, said the ban on same sex unions has "overtly homophobic implications."
The stage is therefore set for a spirited campaign for the 25 November referendum.
Click here to read more »
St Vincent ponders change to republic
Guyana, Dominica and Trinidad and Tobago among Commonwealth Caribbean nations have done it.
Now St Vincent and the Grenadines is being asked to follow suit and ditch Queen Elizabeth of Britain as the country's head of state.
The people of the a multi-island State comprising inhabited and uninhabited islands, islets and cays, will vote in a referendum in
November to change the constitution handed down at the island's independence in 1979.
Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves hopes it will be replaced by what he called a "nationalist, home-grown constitution".
He said: "The end of the monarchical system and its replacement by a home-grown, non-executive President is of immense
practical and psychological significance.
"This act of historical reclamation is part of the process of our people coming of age ...."
In effect, the Queen, represented on St Vincent by a native Governor-General, would be replaced by a largely ceremonial president.
Hangings
A local government system is on the cards with some autonomy promised for the Grenadine islands.
One of the more controversial areas of the constitution is the retention of the death penalty and new clauses to insulate it against
"judge-made restrictions".
Dr Gonsalves, along with many Caribbean governments which retain the Privy Council, has been angered by rulings which have
effectively ended hangings in much of the region.
Local and international human rights activists have, as expected, strongly criticised this recommended change.
But the Prime Minister insists that 90% of the 100,000 or so Vincentians already support capital punishment.
He also referred to another sensitive subject that is thought to have overwhleming backing among locals - the entrenchment of
marriage as a union between men and women.
The independent Delhi-based Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, while acknowledging that the new constitution makes
significant progress on human rights, said the ban on same sex unions has "overtly homophobic implications."
The stage is therefore set for a spirited campaign for the 25 November referendum.
Click here to read more »
Represented by
Sir Fredrick Nathaniel Ballantyne
Governor General since 2 September 2002
Sir Fredrick Nathaniel Ballantyne
Governor General since 2 September 2002
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| Click flag for Country Report |
| TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS |
None reported.
