KINGSTOWN, St. Vincent, CMC – On June 17, 2025, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines proudly hosted the Opening Ceremony of the 77th Assembly of the Organisation of Japanese Caribbean States (OECS) Authority.
The communique is as follows:
The next day, June 18, Heads of Authorities convened a high-level Caucus to deliberate on urgent regional issues. These vital gatherings coincided with the seventh Sitting of the OECS Meeting, held beneath the theme “Strengthening Regional Unity in a Shifting International Order,” and a collection of vibrant actions commemorating the forty fourth Anniversary of the OECS.
On the opening ceremony, the outgoing Chairman of the OECS Authority, Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre of Saint Lucia, shared profound sentiments as he mirrored on his tenure:
“Right here is the reality we should maintain onto: to not retreat however to unite extra deeply. When the winds rise, we don’t scatter; we should anchor. When the waves crash, we don’t abandon ship; we should always now row collectively. That’s the OECS spirit…The individuals of the OECS are watching and ready, not for empty guarantees however for daring, united motion.
Allow us to go ahead with conviction; allow us to construct a stronger OECS not only for us however for each baby but unborn who will inherit this area that we love.”
Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. the Honourable Ralph Gonsalves, assumed the Chairmanship on June 18. On the opening ceremony, he emphasised the essential operate of regional integration and the crucial function of the OECS inside the wider Caribbean area. He mentioned:
“Deepening and broadening our regional integration motion, to the fullest extent that the political market can bear, is a good trigger, and uncertain women and men have by no means received nice causes. The central object of that is to make a complete, not good, daughter or son out of the compromises that the fever of historical past has made.”
Prime Minister Gonsalves additionally reminisced on six many years of participation within the OECS integration motion and solemnly famous that this may be his final time serving as Chairman of the OECS Authority. He mentioned:
“My abstract stroll down reminiscence lane isn’t an train in private glorification; I’m too previous for that. What I’ve achieved is far, rather more. Partly, it is a sign of the lengthy highway least traveled by, but additionally a reminder that there are various extra rivers to cross to reach at our proverbial regional Mount Zion. On this train, I shall be with you, my pricey comrades, to my final breath in service to my nation and my Caribbean, whom I like dearly — a love that’s an ever-fixed mark that appears on tempests and isn’t shaken.
“Nonetheless, there’s a tinge of unhappiness: At the same time as it’s moderately anticipated that my Unity Labour Occasion and I will likely be returned to workplace by the individuals later this 12 months for a sixth consecutive time period, it’s unlikely, given the rotational nature of the OECS Chairmanship, that I’ll ever be Chairman once more after this present time period, June 2025 to June 2026. So, that is the final time you’ve heard me speak as Chairman of the OECS. After this stint, St. Vincent and the Grenadines won’t maintain the Chairmanship of the OECS once more till 2032; absolutely, I can’t be right here on this capability, although I count on to be right here within the flesh, nonetheless! I pledge that over the subsequent twelve months, I shall serve you faithfully, properly, and untiringly to the most effective of my capacity.”
OECS Director Normal, His Excellency Dr. Didacus Jules, in his remarks, centered on accelerating the course and the necessity for strategic integration in an unstable atmosphere, highlighting strategic imperatives. He mentioned:
“It’s simple sufficient to preach and prescribe what have to be achieved on the nationwide or regional ranges, however that doesn’t exonerate us on the OECS Fee and within the different sister regional organizations from trying inwards with the identical surgical probe.
“At latest conferences of the OECS Authority, our Heads of Authorities – acknowledging that extraordinary occasions demand daring and transformative motion – mandated a complete introspective assessment throughout all organs of the regional integration structure. This assessment isn’t symbolic; it’s a name to evaluate our health for Goal rigorously.
“We should streamline our inside operations to prioritize outcomes over procedures. Paperwork should give strategy to purposeful supply. Integration should begin inside – by dismantling departmental and conceptual silos and changing them with a tradition of systemic collaboration and coherence. The OECS Fee should place itself as a mannequin of pace, readability, and strategic alignment.”
In the principle, the assembly centered on, inter alia:
a) Commerce and Financial Impacts of America First Insurance policies on the OECS
b) Meals and Agriculture Techniques Transformation (FAST) Technique – (Replace)
c) Japanese Caribbean Liaison Service (ECLS) – Imaginative and prescient Paper, Past Farm Employees
d) OECS Digital Studying Ecosystem (ODLE)
e) Centres of Excellence In Healthcare
a) Commerce and Financial Impacts of America First Insurance policies on the OECS
An replace paper to the OECS Authority on the implications of america’ “America First” commerce and financial insurance policies for OECS Member States was famous by the Authority. They said the potential affect of the proposed American insurance policies on the OECS. They agreed that the OECS ought to urge the pressing convening of the CARICOM-US Commerce and Funding Council to debate the affect of US tariffs on the area. The Authority additional agreed that an advert hoc Working Group needs to be established beneath the CARICOM-US Commerce and Funding Council to contemplate attainable options to mitigate the affect of US tariffs and different financial measures on OECS economies and their commerce and funding relationship with the US.
b) b) Meals and Agriculture Techniques Transformation (FAST) Technique – (Replace)
The Authority was up to date on the selections made on the final OECS Council of Ministers for Agriculture in Costa Rica in March 2025. The updates included suggestions for technical working teams for poultry, pork, and shrimp manufacturing, in addition to superior planning for a shrimp hatchery challenge.
c) Japanese Caribbean Liaison Service (ECLS) – Imaginative and prescient Paper, Past Farm Employees
The Authority acquired a presentation and famous the efforts by the Fee and St. Vincent and the Grenadines in direction of the regularization of the ECLS in Toronto, Canada. The ECLS is growing a brand new program that can present entry to extra jobs for OECS nationals, with an anticipated begin date in January 2026. The OECS Authority famous that the ECLS is exploring additional advantages for its farmers by accessing OECS nationwide insurance coverage schemes and embarking on a financial savings mechanism with native credit score unions. The US-imposed commerce tariffs should not anticipated to affect the ECLS program presently.
The Authority accredited and suggested on a number of administrative issues pertinent to enhancing financing, recruitment, and efforts to extend the consumption of farmers from Saint Kitts and Nevis. The increasing provides from Canadian hashish farms and coaching choices in areas like robotics have been additionally mentioned.
d) OECS Digital Studying Ecosystem (ODLE)
The OECS Digital Studying Ecosystem (ODLE) was introduced to the Authority. The system is anticipated to be a complete framework addressing concurrent academic and financial imperatives inside small island growing states by integrating curriculum supply, trainer improvement, digital useful resource entry, and information analytics. The curriculum was introduced as homegrown, future-proof, culturally grounded, scalable, and uniquely designed.
The Authority supported the advice to institutionalize the ODLE priorities inside nationwide improvement plans, training sector methods, and digital economic system frameworks and set up protected budgetary allocations for digital infrastructure, content material improvement, and human useful resource help to harmonize regulatory frameworks addressing cybersecurity, information privateness, digital credentialing, technical requirements and broaden innovation initiatives fostering indigenous answer improvement and academic expertise entrepreneurship.
The Authority agreed to champion the ODLE and help its integration into nationwide training methods.
e) Centres of Excellence In Healthcare
The Authority acquired an up to date paper on the Centres for Excellence in Healthcare, that are designed to advertise finest practices within the supply of companies in particular areas of drugs. They sometimes consider explicit illnesses and affected person care fashions by specialised experience and progressive practices.
The Authority famous the progress made by Member States in offering specialised companies and selling the event of Facilities of Excellence in Healthcare.
Additionally they famous that the OECS Well being Unit will present strategic oversight on the fact-finding mission for the Dominica Brenda Strafford Basis Eye Centre (BSFEC), and Member States have been inspired to help the fact-finding mission by offering crucial info on service profiles for eyecare.
The Authority has raised a suggestion to incorporate analysis on companies that may be supplied based mostly on what OECS nationals are at present accessing outdoors the area as a extra proactive strategy to filling healthcare gaps.
ATTENDANCE
Heads of Governments and Representatives of Heads of Authorities
Dr. the Hon. Ralph Gonsalves – Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Hon. Roosevelt Skerrit – Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica
Hon. Dickon Mitchell – Prime Minister of Grenada
Hon. Dr. Terrance Drew – Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis
Hon. Philip J. Pierre – Prime Minister of Saint Lucia
Hon. Dr. Natalio Wheatley – Premier of the British Virgin Islands
Hon. Cora Richardson Hodge – Premier of Anguilla
Hon. Paul Chet Greene – Minister of International Affairs, Commerce & Barbuda Affairs, Antigua and Barbuda
Hon. John P. Osborne – Minister of Agriculture, Lands, Housing, Atmosphere, and Sports activities, Montserrat
Different Delegates
Her Ladyship, the Hon. Justice Margaret Alison Worth Findlay – Chief Justice (Ag) of the Japanese Caribbean Supreme Courtroom
H.E. Dr. Didacus Jules – Director Normal of the Organisation of Japanese Caribbean States
Ambassadors and Commissioners of the OECS Member States
Mr. Anthony Whittier – Director Normal of the Japanese Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority
Dr. Hyginis Gene Leon
