OECS Heads of Government on Thursday discussed Canada’s assistance programme for the sub-region during an engagement with President of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) Mr. Paul Thibault.The discussions were held during the first day of their 40th OECS Authority meeting in Tortola, BVI.

Mr. Thibault, his Vice President Mr. Guillermo Rishchynski, and Canadian High Commissioner to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Mr. Michael Welsh were part of a high level delegation to the meeting.   

CIDA, the executing agency for Canada’s overseas development assistance, has an indicative planning figure of up to CND$35 million in its 2002-2007 development programme for the sub-region. This excludes indirect assistance through other CIDA supported multilateral programmes.

The CIDA President used his visit to join OECS Director General in signing a Contribution Arrangement for an OECS Secretariat Institution Strengthening Project valued at CND3.75 million.

The Secretariat currently executes several CIDA funded projects for the sub-region. These include the OECS Trade Policy project whose five-year life cycle ended in 2004 and to which a further extension was granted to March 2006. The project is designed to strengthen the capacity of the OECS sub-region to participate and compete in the global economy.

The OECS Secretariat also handles the CIDA funded Family Law project which is helping to reform the justice system and social support services in order to deal more effectively with family and domestic violence issues. The Secretariat performs a monitoring and facilitating role for the Eastern Caribbean Economic Management Programme (ECEMP) geared towards building capacity to support economic and public finance planning and policy development in OECS Member States.

There is also the Eastern Caribbean Education Reform project (ECERP) as well as the Environment Capacity Development project.  

The CIDA President and his team journeyed to Grenada on Friday with Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell for a first hand look at damage from hurricane Ivan and to continue discussions on Canada’s support to the recovery effort.

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