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OECS
prepares to celebrate 26 years |
June 15, 2007:
The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) will
be celebrating its 26th anniversary next Monday. On 18 June,
1981 heads of government or their representatives from the
participating Eastern Caribbean countries gathered in the
St. Kitts/Nevis capital to sign the Treaty of Basseterre
which established the OECS.
In separate messages to mark the anniversary, the current
OECS Chairman, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica
and OECS Director-General Dr. Len Ishmael both lauded the
‘OECS Model of Integration’ and the positive impact it has
had on the OECS member states over the past 26 years.
The nine OECS islands, they said, have benefited from
cooperation in regional and international trade
negotiations, health and education reform, economic
development and the fight against HIV/AIDS among many other
areas. |
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The islands share
a number of successful institutions, some of which are being
promoted as models for integration movements in other parts
of the developing world. These include the Eastern Caribbean
Central Bank, the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, the
Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority, the Eastern
Caribbean Telecommunications Authority and the OECS
Pharmaceutical Procurement Services.
The OECS chairman and director- general point to the year
ahead as holding the potential to be the most significant in
the history of the organisation. The OECS heads of
government will lead a year long engagement with the OECS
people on a new draft Treaty which will provide a stepping
stone to an OECS economic union.
The sub-region’s people has been urged to participate in the
national focus group meetings, town hall meetings, media
engagements and other public consultations, and help to
shape the future of the OECS. Following the consultations
the Treaty will be taken to national Parliaments for
ratification, paving the way for the OECS integration
movement to be taken to a new level.
The OECS Secretariat also plans to use the year ahead to
more aggressively pursue the OECS strategic interests in the
changing geo-political environment. They hope to build on
the developing ties with Brazil and expect soon to welcome
the establishment of a Brazilian Mission to the OECS.
They also hope to pursue new trade and investment
opportunities among the emerging economic giants in Far East
Asia. The pursuit of the OECS interest is also expected to
include further strengthening of ties with traditional
allies such as Canada, Cuba and Puerto Rico.
As part of the highlights of the OECS 26th anniversary
observance, the messages from the OECS chairman and
director- general will be broadcast on radio stations across
the region.
The OECS member countries are Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica,
Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts/Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent
& the Grenadines, Anguilla, and the British Virgin Islands.
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