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New York City—In an eye-catching move, St. Kitts and Nevis has sent the largest delegation of any Caribbean nation to the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, sparking public discussion given the nation’s small size. The high-powered 20-member delegation includes three ministers and key government officials, dwarfing the much smaller delegations from other Caribbean nations.

Leading the charge is Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew, accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr. Denzil Douglas and Senator Dr. Joyelle Clarke, Minister of Sustainable Development. The delegation also includes Permanent Secretaries Naeemah Hazelle (Prime Minister’s Office) and Sherilita Dore-Tyson (Ministry of Sustainable Development), along with other key officials such as Auren Manners, Director of Public Sector Planning, Sherema Matthew, Director of the St. Kitts and Nevis Information Service, Bjorn Hazel, Senior Foreign Service Officer, Denaula Laplace, Research and Communications Officer in the Ministry of Sustainable Development, and Dillon Edmeade, personal aide to Prime Minister Drew.

Adding to the team, the St. Kitts and Nevis Permanent Mission to the UN, led by Ambassador Her Excellency Mutryce Williams, will support the delegation. Other mission staff includes Eustace Wallace (Minister Counselor), Sonia Boddie-Thompson (Diplomat, Counselor), and Ambassador to the US and OAS, Jacinth Henry-Martin, who is lending further support. The delegation is also accompanied by the Prime Minister’s wife, Mrs. Diani Jimesha Prince-Drew, making the full St. Kitts and Nevis team one of the most prominent at UNGA.

By comparison, much larger nations like Guyana have sent just two representatives, while countries like St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Antigua and Barbuda have all opted for smaller four-person delegations. Dominica sent a six-member delegation.

Many are questioning the necessity and expense of sending such a large team. St. Kitts and Nevis has developed a reputation for sending significant delegations to international forums. In 2023, the country’s delegation to the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, which exceeded 20 members, raised eyebrows both at home and abroad.

Critics have accused the Drew administration of gross excess, particularly with regard to frequent overseas travel and large delegation sizes. Ministers are reportedly off-island an average of 15-20 days per month, prompting growing concerns among citizens about the justification for such frequent travel.

As St. Kitts and Nevis continues to position itself on the global stage, the debate over the size and frequency of its international representation is likely to intensify.