St. Vincent and the Grenadines is rated Free in Freedom in the World, Freedom House’s annual study of political rights and civil liberties worldwide.
SVG scored 91 out of 100 in the latest report published by the organization for overall freedoms.
In its 2021 report, Freedom House says the island attained 36 out of 40 for political rights and 55 out of 60 for civil liberties.
Freedom House, however, cited areas of concern despite the high score in the 2021 report.
Areas of concern
Journalists remain subject to criminal and civil defamation laws that provide harsh fines and jail terms.
Women and LGBT+ people are poorly represented in the legislature and politics generally. LGBT+ people are marginalized in society, and laws criminalizing same-sex relations remain on the books.
Freedom of information legislation passed in 2003 has yet to be implemented, and there is no active legislation requiring government officials to disclose assets, income, or gifts.
The report’s methodology is mainly derived from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948. Freedom in the World is based on the premise that these standards apply to all countries and territories, irrespective of geographical location, ethnic or religious composition, or level of economic development. Freedom in the World operates from the assumption that space for all people is best achieved in liberal democratic societies.
Freedom in the World assesses individuals’ real-world rights and independence rather than governments or government performance per se. Political rights and civil liberties can be affected by both state and non-state actors, including insurgents and other armed groups.
Freedom House does not believe that legal rights guarantees are sufficient for on-the-ground fulfilment of those rights. While both laws and actual practises are factored into scoring decisions, greater emphasis is placed on implementation.
