Mr. President
Distinguished Delegates
Ladies and Gentlemen

I bring you warm greetings from the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis.

Mr. President
May I express my sincerest appreciation to you and the Government and people of Spain, for your generosity in the hosting of the Second World Assembly on Ageing. Madrid is indeed a beautiful city in which to convene this assembly and the efficient organization of this assembly as well as our harmonious surroundings will facilitate the overall objectives of along-term strategic approach on ageing.

On behalf of the government of St. Kitts and Nevis I would like to express my government's commitment to the cause of our older population. We believe that the Second World Assembly on Ageing will propel not only governments but also civil society to put matters pertaining to ageing as a priority on their national agendas.

St. Kitts and Nevis, as member of the Group of 77 and China, fully endorses the statement made by the distinguished Minister for Foreign Affairs of Venezuela.

Mr. President,
With your permission, I wish to take the opportunity to use this forum to pay special tribute to the older persons in my Federation for the years of hard work and dedication towards their families and their country. They have left us the legacy of self-determination and democracy. Our country's motto, "Country Above Self", reflects the blood, sweat and tears that our older persons shed in order to secure the many privileges we enjoy in my Federation. I thank them.

With the advancements made in modern medicine and improved standard of living, people are living a lot longer. The proportion of the world's population over sixty has increased rapidly.

Reports have indicated that among the developing regions, the Caribbean has the highest percentage of older persons. In my Federation, as of the year 2000 persons over 65 years of age accounted for 8.9% of our small population of approximately forty two thousand.

Mr. President
With this in mind, my government recognizes its responsibilities to actively prepare for an ageing population, since older persons do not live in isolation from the rest of the society. We cannot neglect this sector of our population. They have been and continue to be worthy contributors to our well-being.

Older persons face many problems and experience quite a number of social and economic difficulties such as poverty, violence, abuse and discrimination. The impact of these difficulties is more severely felt by older women, who are the bedrock of support for the family.

Mr. President
The impact of globalization and the forced changes associated with it have resulted in the undertaking of several social and economic assessments in St. Kitts and Nevis. My country has undergone a Poverty Assessment as well as a feasibility study of the sugar industry and of the impact the closure of this industry will have on 15% of the island's work force. The study of the Sugar Industry has revealed that many of our older women are workers in that industry and are poor. The impact therefore that the closure of the sugar industry will have on our older population, and especially older women is tremendous. One Cambodian woman described it succinctly, "poor from the parents, down to the grandchildren". My government has exercised administrative prudence and is currently preparing to carry out a Social Audit of all persons employed in the Sugar Industry.

Mr. President
We recognize as a developing country with limited resources, we have to devise strategies that are collaborative, participatory and inclusive.

As a means of addressing these problems, the issue of poverty reduction has been placed high on the agenda of the government of St. Kitts and Nevis. A National Consultation was convened in November of 2001, a number of strategies were identified and plans are now in motion to facilitate the implementation of the National Human Development Agenda. At the same time sustainable development policies including those related to the environment, have sought to address the special needs of older persons.

My country, as well as a number of Caribbean countries is prone to natural disasters.

St. Kitts and Nevis has felt the wrath and fury of storms, floods and hurricanes. We have been subjected to five hurricanes and one major flood over the past five years.

My government has recognised the vulnerability of our aged during times of natural disasters and has included in its National Disaster Preparedness Plan strategies for identifying and relocating seniors to places of safety.

Mr. President
My government believes that no one, regardless of age should be subjected to poor nutrition or substandard living. We have instituted a number social net programmes to address this issue. Our Social Security benefits are paid monthly upon the attainment of age of sixty two and a non-contributory assistance pension is also provided for those older persons who have not contributed to the Social Security scheme but are in financial need.

Additionally, recognizing that many of our older persons live in areas with limited access to transportation, the Social Security Office has devised a proactive community customer service clinic that seeks out older persons who might be eligible for the scheme with a view to providing service to all.

In keeping with our commitment to ensure universal access to basic social services, older persons in St. Kitts and Nevis are provided with universal health care, including free prescription medicines, hospitalization, laboratory tests, eye and dental care. This is further complemented by the strategic placement of community health centers in our villages as well as the provision of community health professionals.

We believe that institutional care should be a last resort and as such subscribe to the premise that family care is the ideal survival strategy for our older persons and should be encouraged and supported as far as possible. The Home Care Programme for Older Persons is a vibrant and proactive tool that has been devised to assist our older persons in their own home and community setting. These persons are the beneficiaries of hot meals, food packages, medical assistance and social interaction.

Mr. President
My government supports and endorses the full involvement of family members in the lives of our older persons. We recognize that many external forces such as migration, changes in family structure and a relatively young population have contributed to the erosion of our extended family systems, even though many of our women find themselves "sandwiched" between the responsibilities of caring for their children as well as their older relatives.

Our programmes for the older persons therefore seek to encourage and facilitate the involvement of the youth. The Ministry of Social Development, Community and Gender Affairs, has developed an Adopt an Older Person programme and is collaborating with schools throughout the country. This programme enables the children not only to learn from the experiences of an older generation but also to develop their capacity for tolerance and compassion. These children are also part of our Seniors Birthday Celebrations Programme.

Social integration is further encouraged annually in October. This month has been designated as the month for older persons and a number of activities including church services, a national picnic and the recognition of the oldest person in each community are some of the highlights of this special month.

Mr. President
The government of St. Kitts and Nevis is fully committed to the development of policies and the implementation of programmes aimed at the improvement of life for all persons throughout their life cycle. We look forward to the adoption of the plan of Action on Ageing 2002 and reiterate our commitment to its implementation.

Finally, Mr. President, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, let us not forget the age-old adage, that, "Older people are doors to the past and windows to the future".

Thank you.