(Castries, May 08, 2012) Tuesday May 8^th 2012 marked another special occasion at the OECS Secretariat where His Excellency Joaquim Augusto Whitaker Salles, presented his credentials to Dr. Len Ishmael, Director General of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, and became the second Ambassador/Resident Representative of the Federative Republic of Brazil to the OECS. 

Ambassador Whitaker Salles was preceded by H.E. João Batista Cruz who ended his tour of duty earlier this year.

February 2012, Bridgetown.  Globally and regionally there is increasing support and investment in youth programmes, support to expand the inclusion of the voices of youth in policy and decision-making processes. Investing time, efforts and resources in Caribbean youth creates new opportunities, choices and helps build the human capital and human development needed to support Caribbean development goals.  

OECS Secretariat, Castries, St. Lucia, Febrary 2^nd 2012- An Australian delegation visited the Secretariat of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) on Wednesday February 1^st 2011 to pay a courtesy call on its Director General.  The delegation comprised Mr. Richard Marles, MP and Australian Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs; H.E. Phillip Kentwell, High Commissioner of Australia to Trinidad and Tobago and Plenipotentiary Representative to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM); Ms. Glenda Price, Advisor; Ms. Hannah Bleby, Australian High Commission and Ms. Leilani Bun-Juda, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Australia. 

The Fifty-fourth Meeting of the OECS Authority was convened in Rodney Bay, St Lucia over the period January 23-24, 2012 under the Chairmanship of Dr. the Honourable Kenny D. Anthony, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia. All Member States were represented with the exception of Montserrat. The Member States present were represented at the level of Head of Government, with the exception of Anguilla which was represented at the Ministerial level. The Meeting focused in the main on matters relating to the operationalisation of the OECS Economic Union, including:

1. Legislative and other arrangements relating to implementation of the Revised Treaty of Basseterre;
2. Operationalisation of the Organs of the Union including the Councils, the Commission, and the Regional Parliamentary Assembly; and
3. Financing of the Secretariat/Commission and the Economic Union.