St Kitts and Nevis-Overview

The government of St Kitts and Nevis reports that it has recently taken initiatives to involve civil society more strongly in consultations. However, there remains no national human rights institution; the government did not implement a recommendation of the 2011 UN Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review (UPR) to establish one, although it has committed to involving civil society in some kind of national mechanism. While an ombudsperson office exists, its powers are limited. Civil society has called attention to the country’s non-ratification of key international human rights instruments, including the core human rights treaties, and urged the government to ratify and domesticate these. There are also high levels of violent crime and reports of police brutality and violence against LGBTI citizens.