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Welcome
to the website
of the OECS Secretariat.
Find
out about us -
our beginnings,
mission, objectives
and people here.
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Director
General (Ag) Mr
George Goodwin
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Our
Mission
Our
mission is to be a major
institutional player
at the regional level,
contributing to the
sustainable development
of our member countries
by assisting them to
maximise the benefits
from their collective
space, by facilitating
their intelligent integration
with the global economy;
by contributing to policy
and program formulation
and execution in respect
of regional and international
issues, and by facilitation
of bilateral and multilateral
co-operation.
The
organisation's Objectives
As
set out in the Treaty
of Basseterre - to promote
co-operation among the
Member States and to
defend their sovereignty,
territorial integrity
and independence; to
assist the Member States
in the realisation of
their obligations and
responsibilities to
the international community
with due regard to the
role of international
law as a standard of
conduct in their relationships;
to establish and maintain
wherever possible arrangements
for joint overseas representation
and common services;
to promote economic
integration among the
member states; to pursue
these through its respective
by discussion of questions
of common concern and
by agreement on common
action.
Top
Origin
& Evolution
The
Organisation of Eastern
Caribbean States (0ECS)
came into being on June
18th 1981, when seven
Eastern Caribbean countries
signed a treaty agreeing
to cooperate with each
other and promote unity
and solidarity among
the Members. The Treaty
became known as the
Treaty of Basseterre,
so named in honour of
the capital city of
St. Kitts and Nevis
where it was signed.
Following
the collapse of the
West Indies Federation,
and prior to the signing
of the Treaty of Basseterre,
two caretaker bodies
were created: the West
Indies Associated States
Council of Ministers
(WISA) in 1966 and the
Eastern Caribbean Common
Market (ECCM) in 1968.
As
the islands gained their
independence from Britain
it became evident that
there was need for a
more formal arrangement
to assist with their
development efforts.
So
it was that the 0ECS
was established. The
WISA Secretariat became
the central secretariat
of the 0ECS and the
ECCM, the Economic Affairs
Secretariat.
In
mid 1997, as a result
of restructuring of
the organisation the
Economic Affairs Secretariat
was merged into and
became a Division of
the 0ECS Secretariat
in St Lucia.
The
0ECS is now a nine member
grouping comprising
Antigua and Barbuda,
Commonwealth of Dominica,
Grenada, Montserrat,
St Kitts and Nevis,
St Lucia and St Vincent
and the Grenadines.
Anguilla
and the British Virgin
Islands are associate
members of the 0ECS.
Top
The
OECS Secretariat
View
Organisation Chart
View
Staff List
The
functions of the Organisation
are set out in the Treaty
of Basseterre and are
co-ordinated by the
Secretariat under the
direction and management
of the Director General.
The
OECS functions in a
rapidly changing international
economic environment,
characterised by globalisation
and trade liberalisation
which are posing serious
challenges to the economic
and social stability
of their small island
members. It is the purpose
of the Organisation
to assist its Members
to respond to these
multi-faceted challenges
by identifying scope
for joint or coordinated
action towards the economic
and social advancement
of their countries.
The
restructuring of the
Secretariat was informed
by considerations of
cost effectiveness in
the context of the need
to respond to the increasing
challenges placed on
it, taking into account
the limited fiscal capacities
of its members. The
Secretariat consists
of four main Divisions
responsible for: External
Relations, Functional
Cooperation, Corporate
Services and Economic
Affairs. These four
Divisions oversee the
work of a number of
specialised institutions,
work units or projects
located in six countries
- Antigua/Barbuda, Commonwealth
of Dominica, St Lucia,
Belgium, Canada, and
the United States of
America.
In
carrying out its mission,
the OECS works along
with a number of sub-regional
and regional agencies
and institutions. These
include the Eastern
Caribbean Central Bank
(ECCB); the Caribbean
Community (Caricom)
Secretariat; the
Caricom Regional Negotiating
Machinery (RNM) and
the Caribbean
Development Bank (CDB).
View
Organisation Chart
View
Staff List
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