The first sub-regional Human Development Report for the OECS region, was launched by the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) in collaboration with the UNDP, (Barbados and the OECS), and the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis, 20th September, 2002. 

This first Regional Human Development Report in the Caribbean analyses and reports on the human development status of the nine small-island developing States that constitute the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), established in 1981 with the signing of the Treaty of Basseterre: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

Acting OECS Director General Mr. George Goodwin officially presented the first copy of the report to the current OECS Chairman, Prime Minister Dr. Denzil Douglas of St. Kitts and Nevis. The presentation took place in the presence of the country's Governor General Sir Cuthbert Sebastian, Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Sam Candor and other Ministers of Government,

Governor of the Central Bank Sir Dwight Venner, leading members of the Private Sector and non-governmental organizations, and a number of students.

Presentations were made by Mr. George Goodwin, OECS Director General (ag.), UNDP's Resident Representative for Barbados and the OECS Dr. Rosina Wiltshire, and OECS Social Development Advisor Dr. Barbara Boland. Prime Minister Douglas delivered the feature address.

The theme of "Building Competitiveness in the Face of Vulnerability" was selected as the vehicle through which the region's economic and social performance and its impact on human development are explored, in light of the OECS region's thrust towards deepening the integration process for purposes of participation in the increasingly competitive international environment; and, also, in recognition of the weaknesses and threats that face the individual islands, and against the background of the increasing attention being given to building the capacity that will enable effective and efficient participation in the increasingly competitive international environment. 

This report acknowledges that any attempts at addressing current approaches to human development, for purposes of "enlarging people's choices, in a way that is equitable, participatory, productive, and sustainable" over time, can be typically constrained by various social, economic and natural assets and events. Attention is given to the current status of Member States in terms of their capacity to achieve competitiveness, maintain growth even while being influenced by, and integrated into the external environment, and at the same time improve the conditions of social and human development as well as reduce poverty. 

This Human Development Report for the OECS region also considered it necessary to revisit, and possibly modify, standard measures of human and social development. The thrust of this revisit sought to adequately capture the social and economic realities in the OECS countries, taking account of the insecurities and vulnerabilities that could bedevil efforts to expand people's choices and opportunities. In this regard, in addition to the traditional UNDP Human Development Index (HDI), a second index - an Adjusted Human Development Index (AHDI) - was constructed with the concept of vulnerability at its core. 

Although all OECS Member States have made progress in human development in the past decade, from expanding knowledge to improving survival to raising standards of living, the Report found that, behind this record of overall progress, lies a more complex picture of diverse experiences across countries, which are advancing at different paces and achieving different levels of human development.

Several immediate actions are recommended in the short run that relate to encouraging diversification in the OECS region; increasing resource capability; encouraging a flexible and mobile labour force; grappling with the task of employment generation; creation of a knowledge-based economy and an emphasis on higher value-added services; reducing the level of exposure; need for social and economic policies to be better integrated. These policy challenges hinge to a large extent on building the internal capacities that will enable successful competition in the international environment.