BASSETERRE – Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Dr Timothy Harris, has declared his government’s unwavering support for the call for reparations for atrocities of slavery.
Responding to a question from a journalist at his monthly press conference on the issue of reparations, Prime Minister Harris explained that reparations will be difficult to sell to a conservative United Kingdom government.
“We are fully in support of the call for reparations,” said Prime Minister Harris.
“I believe what we have to do is find the correct messaging. I believe it has been and will continue to be a difficult message for a conservative government in the UK to accept the notion of reparations if it comes packaged as compensation,” he added.
Harris explained that at the recent United Nations General Assembly he had argued that the call for reparations be packaged in the context of the post-2015 development agenda. He said it was imperative to call on the countries that should be providing support to accept that slavery was an atrocity against humanity.
“It did irreparable damage to the psyche of the people who underwent that wicked system. In the consequence of that disadvantage there is a need now to help those societies that have suffered to get their development agenda fast tracked,” he said.
In 2014, the Government of St Kitts and Nevis approved the formation of a committee to seek reparations for slavery. (SKNIS)
