KINGSTOWN, St Vincent – On June 17, 2025, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines proudly hosted the Opening Ceremony of the 77th meeting of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Authority. The following day, June 18, heads of government convened for a high-level Caucus to deliberate on pressing regional matters.
These significant gatherings coincided with the 7th sitting of the OECS Assembly, held under the theme “Strengthening Regional Unity in a Shifting Global Order,” and a series of vibrant activities commemorating the 44th Anniversary of the OECS.
At the opening ceremony, outgoing Chairman of the OECS Authority, prime minister Philip J. Pierre of Saint Lucia, shared profound sentiments as he reflected on his tenure:
“Here is the truth we must hold onto: not to retreat but to unite more deeply. When the winds rise, we do not scatter; we must anchor. When the waves crash, we do not abandon ship; we should now row together. That is the OECS spirit…The people of the OECS are watching and waiting, not for empty promises but for bold, united action. Let us go forward with conviction, let us build a stronger OECS not just for us, but for every child yet unborn who will inherit this region that we love.”
Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr Ralph Gonsalves, assumed the chairmanship on June 18. At the opening ceremony, he emphasised the crucial function of regional integration and the critical role of the OECS within the wider Caribbean region.
He said: “Deepening, and broadening, our regional integration movement, to the fullest extent that the political market can bear, is a great cause; and great causes have never been won by doubtful men and women. The central object of this is to make a whole, not perfect, daughter or son out of the compromises that the fever of history has made.”
Prime Minister Gonsalves also reminisced on six decades of participation in the OECS integration movement and solemnly noted that this would be his last time serving as Chairman of the OECS Authority.
He said: “My summary stroll down memory lane is not an exercise in personal glorification; I am too old for that. What I’ve done is much, much more. In part, it is an indication of the long road least travelled by, but also a reminder that there are many more rivers to cross to arrive at our proverbial regional Mount Zion. In this exercise, I shall be with you, my dear comrades, to my last breath in service to my country and my Caribbean whom I love dearly — a love that is an ever-fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken.
“Still, there is a tinge of sadness: Even as it is reasonably expected that my Unity Labour Party and I will be returned to office by the people, later this year for a sixth consecutive term, it is unlikely, given the rotational nature of the OECS Chairmanship, that I will ever be chairman again after this current term, June 2025 to June 2026. So, this is the last time you’re hearing me talk as chairman of the OECS. After this stint, St Vincent and the Grenadines will not hold the chairmanship of the OECS again until 2032; surely I will not be here in this capacity, though I expect to be here in the flesh, still! I pledge that over the next twelve months I shall serve you faithfully, well, and untiringly to the best of my ability.”
OECS director general, Dr Didacus Jules, in his remarks, focused on accelerating the course and the need for strategic integration in an unstable environment, highlighting strategic imperatives.
He said: “It is easy enough to pontificate and prescribe what must be done at the national or regional levels, but that does not exonerate us at the OECS Commission and in the other sister regional organisations from looking inwards with the same surgical probe.
“At recent meetings of the OECS Authority, our heads of government – acknowledging that extraordinary times demand bold and transformative action – mandated a comprehensive introspective review across all organs of the regional integration architecture. This review is not symbolic; it is a call to rigorously assess our fitness for Purpose.
“We must streamline our internal operations to prioritize outcomes over procedures. Bureaucracy must give way to purposeful delivery. Integration must start within – by dismantling departmental and conceptual silos and replacing them with a culture of systemic collaboration and coherence. The OECS Commission must position itself as a model of speed, clarity, and strategic alignment.”
In the main, the meeting focused on, inter alia:
- a) Trade and Economic Impacts of America First Policies on the OECS;
- b) Food and Agriculture Systems Transformation (FAST) Strategy – (update);
- c) Eastern Caribbean Liaison Service (ECLS) – Vision Paper, Beyond Farm Workers;
- d) OECS Digital Learning Ecosystem (ODLE);
- e) Centres of Excellence In Healthcare.
a) Trade and economic impacts of America first policies on the OECS
An update paper to the OECS Authority on the implications of the United States’ “America First” trade and economic policies for OECS member states was noted by the Authority. They noted the potential impact of the proposed American policies on the OECS and agreed that the OECS should call for the urgent convening of the CARICOM-US Trade and Investment Council to discuss the impact of US tariffs. The Authority further agreed that an ad hoc Working Group should be established under the CARICOM-US Trade and Investment Council to consider possible solutions to mitigate against the impact of US tariffs and other economic measures on OECS economies and their trade and investment relationship with the US.
b) Food and Agriculture Systems Transformation (FAST) Strategy – (Update)
The Authority was updated on the decisions made at the last OECS council of ministers for agriculture in Costa Rica in March 2025. The updates included recommendations for technical working groups for poultry, pork, and shrimp production, with advanced planning for a shrimp hatchery project.
c) Eastern Caribbean Liaison Service (ECLS) – Vision Paper, Beyond Farm Workers
The Authority received a presentation and noted the efforts by the Commission and St Vincent and the Grenadines towards the regularization of the ECLS in Toronto, Canada. The ECLS is mapping out a new programme which will allow access to additional jobs for OECS nationals with an expected start in January 2026. The OECS Authority noted that the ECLS is exploring further benefits for its farmers by accessing OECS national insurance schemes and embarking on a savings mechanism with local credit unions. The US-imposed trade tariffs are not expected to affect the ECLS programme currently.
The Authority approved and advised on several administrative matters pertinent to improving financing, recruitment, and efforts to increase the intake of farmers from Saint Kitts and Nevis. The expanding offers from Canadian cannabis farms and training offerings in areas like robotics were also discussed.
d) OECS Digital Learning Ecosystem (ODLE)
The OECS Digital Learning Ecosystem (ODLE) was presented to the Authority. The system is expected to be a comprehensive framework addressing concurrent educational and economic imperatives within small island developing states by integrating curriculum delivery, teacher development, digital resource access, and data analytics. The curriculum was presented as homegrown, future-proof, culturally grounded, scalable, and uniquely designed.
The Authority supported the recommendation to institutionalize the ODLE priorities within national development plans, education sector strategies, and digital economy frameworks and establish protected budgetary allocations for digital infrastructure, content development, and human resource support to harmonize regulatory frameworks addressing cybersecurity, data privacy, digital credentialing, technical standards and expand innovation initiatives fostering indigenous solution development and educational technology entrepreneurship.
The Authority agreed to champion the ODLE and support its integration into national education strategies.
e) Centres of excellence in healthcare
The Authority received an updated paper on the Centres for Excellence in Healthcare, which are designed to promote best practices in the delivery of services in specific areas of medicine. They typically concentrate on specific diseases and patient care models through specialized expertise and innovative practices.
The Authority noted the progress made by member states in providing specialised services and promoting the development of Centers of Excellence in Healthcare.
They also noted that the OECS Health Unit will provide strategic oversight on the fact-finding mission for the Dominica Brenda Strafford Foundation Eye Centre (BSFEC), and Member States were encouraged to support the fact-finding mission by providing critical information on service profiles for eyecare.
The Authority raised a recommendation to include research on services that can be provided based on what OECS nationals are currently accessing outside the region as a more proactive approach to filling in healthcare gaps.
Attendance
Heads of government and representatives of heads of government:
- Dr Ralph Gonsalves – Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines;
- Roosevelt Skerrit – Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica;
- Dickon Mitchell – Prime Minister of Grenada;
- Dr Terrance Drew – Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis;
- Philip J. Pierre – Prime Minister of Saint Lucia;
- Natalio Wheatley – Premier of the British Virgin Islands;
- Cora Richardson Hodge – Premier of Anguilla;
- Paul Chet Greene – Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade & Barbuda Affairs, Antigua and Barbuda;
- John P. Osborne – Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Housing, Environment, and Sports, Montserrat
Other delegates
- Her Ladyship, the Hon. Justice Margaret Alison Price Findlay – Chief Justice (Ag) of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court;
- Dr Didacus Jules – Director General of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States;
- Ambassadors and Commissioners of the OECS Member States;
- Anthony Whittier – Director General of the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority
- Dr Hyginis Gene Leon.
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