By Times Caribbean Staff Reporter
The Permanent Representative of Saint Kitts and Nevis to the Organization of American States (OAS), Jacinth Henry-Martin, today assumed the Chair of the Permanent Council of the hemispheric institution . Ambassador Henry-Martin follows Dominican Republic Ambassador Pedro Verges . 
Statute of the Permanent Council establishes that the presidency should be exercised successively by the principal representatives in the alphabetical order of the names in Spanish of their respective countries, and vice, in the same way, following reverse alphabetic order. Vice Chair of the Council will be in charge of the Permanent Representative of Uruguay, Ambassador Milton Romani.
Upon receiving the gavel representing the Council’s authority by her predecessor, the Dominican ambassador Verges. Ambassador Henry-Martin expressed the honor and pride her appointment means to her country to represent the Organization at a time when critical self-reflection is necessary in order to re- energize the Organisation’s maximum efficiency. “
The diplomat reaffirmed her country’s support for “the defense of all values” of the OAS. “As president,” said Ambassador Henry-Martin, “I can guarantee my availability and my commitment to work with you to ensure that the work of this organization is performed in an efficient manner.” Meanwhile, the outgoing Chairman, Ambassador Verges expressed his conviction that the new President of the Council will do “an outstanding job” representing “both her country and the Organization.” The Dominican diplomat concluded by wishing the new President “the best of luck and every success. The handover event was held at OAS headquarters in Washington, DC, attended by the Secretary General of the Organization, José Miguel Insulza, the Deputy Secretary General of the OAS, Albert Ramdin, and representatives of several Member Countries.