Her Excellency Jacinth Henry-Martin, Saint Kitts and Nevis Ambassador to the United States of America)

Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis, July 7, 2023 (Press Secretary, PMO)- Her Excellency Jacinth Henry-Martin has been officially appointed Saint Kitts and Nevis Ambassador to the United States of America.

Ambassador Henry-Martin paid a courtesy call on the Federal Cabinet to share insight on the vast opportunities and resources that the Washington D.C.-based Embassy can provide to the Government and people of the twin-island Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis.

Among the many areas of work of the Embassy shared by Ambassador Henry-Martin were the arrangement of high-level bilateral meetings with other countries; networking opportunities with international agencies to assist line ministries in Saint Kitts and Nevis; opportunities for agricultural, financial, and climate resiliency assistance; promotion of Saint Kitts and Nevis as a prime destination through cultural diplomacy; and the enhancement of engagement with the diaspora.

In expressing her enthusiasm towards her new role, Ambassador Henry Martin stated, “It is a high honour for me to return to the service of my country as Ambassador of St Kitts and Nevis to the USA, our most powerful hemispheric neighbour, the seat of global influence and might, and the adopted home of thousands of Kittitians and Nevisians in the Diaspora.  My commitment to defending the interests of the government and people is unswerving, and I am excited to lead an equally committed team in delivering on the mandate entrusted to me both as Ambassador to the USA and as Permanent Representative to the OAS”.

Jacinth Henry-Martin has served the Federation in numerous capacities throughout her career in fields that span private and public sector service, as evidenced during her tenure as an elected parliamentarian and Federal Minister of Government from 2000 to 2004. 

As Federal Minister for Information, Culture, Sports, and Youth, she spearheaded the Federation’s successful hosting of several events including the UNESCO Caribbean Youth Gathering for Peace in 2002, which focused on developing a culture of peace and non-violence in young people. She also hosted the overwhelmingly successful VII Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA VII) in 2000, which brought greater cultural diversity to the Federation as artists, folklorists, practitioners, and proponents of a variety of art forms from across the Caribbean and Latin American countries came together to display their country’s heritage united in loving respect for the power of the Arts. Mrs. Henry-Martin also led the Federation’s successful bid in 2004 to host World Cup Cricket on behalf of the Caribbean region. Each event brought diversity, economic stability, and global recognition to our Federation.

She was subsequently named to high-level representational roles in the United Kingdom and in the United States of America before being appointed her country’s first female Ambassador to the USA in 2011, serving in the dual role of Permanent Representative to the Organization of American States (OAS), the oldest political organization in the world, and subsequently as concurrent non-resident Ambassador to Mexico and Paraguay.

She also served briefly as Chief of Staff of the Secretary General of the OAS before being appointed in 2016 as Advisor to the Assistant Secretary General of the OAS with concurrent responsibility for coordinating the 28 Offices of the OAS General Secretariat across the Americas. Additionally, Mrs. Martin served as Chief of two OAS electoral observation missions to OAS Member States, and as a member of a three-member electoral observation delegation.

In July 2023, she returned to the service of the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis as Ambassador to the USA, with concurrent appointment as Permanent Representative to the OAS.

Ambassador Henry-Martin has been a keynote speaker at many high-profile events in St Kitts and Nevis and in the USA and is the recipient of many accolades and awards recognizing her contribution to the social advancement of the people of her country. An artist at heart, she is the author of two published anthologies of poetry, pens and performs her own dramatic works with accompaniment by drumming and choir ensembles, and regularly offers words of encouragement and empowerment to youths as a motivational speaker.

She holds a Master of Arts in Technical and Specialized Translation from the University of Westminster in the United Kingdom and is fluent in three languages.