The technical committee mandated to discuss a draft OECS Economic Union Treaty recently held its inaugural meeting at the OECS Secretariat.

The committee, which began meeting on Tuesday May 4 th is designing a treaty that will accommodate the new thrust within the sub-region towards an OECS Economic Union. Presentations included the Treaty of Basseterre and OECS Economic Union, Legal and Juridical considerations for an OECS Economic Union Treaty and Economic Integration.

Director General of the OECS Secretariat Len Ishmael asked the delegates to consider several imperatives of an OECS Economic Union. These include the need for parallel national consultations to support the regional effort. Such consultations will help in identifying systems, processes and institutions required as well as the legislative framework to make sure that the synergy established will converge in the best interest of the proposed single economic space.

The Director General referred to the parallel movement within Caricom and the regional institutional framework, to which member states have ceded some degree of sovereignty as positive developments in the stride towards Economic Union. Several OECS institutions such as the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, ECTEL and the Directorate of Civil Aviation (soon to be an Authority) are also helpful factors.

The meeting also emphasized the need for developing a new treaty that accommodates the OECS Economic Union as against adjusting the existing Treaty of Basseterre.

Among the roles of the technical committee to draft an OECS Economic Union Treaty is to sustain the process of dialogue with the relevant groups. This will help to inform and show progress as well as update the heads of government on a regular basis regarding the process towards an OECS Economic Union. The meeting of the technical committee to draft an OECS Economic Union Treaty was staged in the Castries Room at the OECS Secretariat

The group will guide the strategic planning process towards an OECS Economic Union Treaty.

Work done by the secretariat’s Economic Union unit as well as ambassador Earl Huntley of St. Lucia, and tabled at the 38 th OECS Authority made it very clear that the move towards Economic Union requires the support of supranational aspects of governance.

A report on the recent meeting will be tabled at the 39 th OECS Authority later this month.

Contact:
Jimmy Emmanuel OECS Economic Union Unit
Kendol Morgan Senior Communications Officer OECS Secretariat This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Raymond O’Keiffe Comm. Officer email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it