The Organisation of Jap Caribbean States (OECS) Fee is happy to announce the profitable conclusion of its thought-provoking webinar titled “Free Motion within the OECS: A Citizen’s Rights,” held on Sept. 4.
The occasion offered a complete exploration of the rights and alternatives related to free motion inside the Jap Caribbean Financial Union (ECEU) masking subjects together with equal entry to social programmes and providers for residents of OECS Protocol Member States, hassle-free journey, freedom to work in different OECS Protocol Member States, advantages of free motion for employers and the personal sector, free motion and catastrophe resilience, amongst different socio-economic advantages related to OECS free motion.
The webinar was expertly moderated by Dr. Wendy Grenade, Professor and Chair of the Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, at St. George’s College, Grenada and featured an esteemed panel of regional integration advocates and consultants together with:
- Senator, Garth Lucien Wilkin, Lawyer-Common and Minister of Justice and Authorized Affairs, St. Kitts & Nevis.
- Dr. Valda Henry, Deputy Governor of the Jap Caribbean Central Financial institution (ECCB).
- Gordon Charles, President, OECS Enterprise Council.
- Natasha Greaves, Head of Workplace, Dominica, Worldwide Group for Migration (IOM).
- Dr. Clarence Henry, Performing Head, Regional Integration Unit, OECS Fee
The webinar commenced with a featured presentation by Dr. Natasha Mortley, Senior Analysis Fellow on the Institute for Gender and Improvement Research, The College of the West Indies (UWI), Jamaica, and Particular Advisor on Migration to the OECS. The presentation offered beneficial insights into ongoing efforts to strengthen information manufacturing and assortment within the OECS. Furthermore, throughout her presentation, Dr. Mortley burdened the significance of information in supporting the free motion of individuals within the OECS.
Through the dialogue session, the webinar offered panelists with a possibility to handle key subjects, together with the authorized frameworks supporting free motion, financial advantages, and the social implications for residents throughout the ECEU. Panelists shared their views on efforts to reinforce regional integration and be certain that the ideas of free motion are successfully carried out and useful to all.
These advantages related to the Free Motion of Individuals Regime are afforded by the Revised Treaty of Basseterre (RTB) and extra particularly, by the OECS Contingent Rights Coverage. To assist Protocol Member States implementation of the Contingent Rights Coverage, the Fee is actively working with Protocol Member States on the implementation of a mannequin invoice that can implement these advantages by nationwide regulation.
In his remarks throughout the webinar, Joel Richards, Officer in Cost of the Financial Affairs and Regional Integration Division on the OECS Fee, stated, “To speed up the complete realization of those rights, we have to work towards eradicating the legislative and administrative hurdles that also exist. The Mannequin OECS Contingent Rights Invoice, presently beneath assessment by the Protocol Member States, represents a key mechanism in making these rights a actuality for all residents of the OECS.
“For all of this to actually work, it’s important that each citizen understands and embraces their rights. Empowerment comes from understanding what’s assured beneath the Revised Treaty of Basseterre, advocating for these rights, and making certain they’re revered. Knowledgeable residents are higher outfitted to push for the reforms and enhancements essential to make free motion and contingent rights totally useful.”
The Mannequin OECS Contingent Rights Invoice will likely be introduced to the OECS Authorized Affairs Committee (LAC) (Attorneys Common) within the final quarter of 2024.
The panelists emphasised the dedication of their respective organizations together with the OECS Enterprise Council, the Worldwide Group for Migration (Caribbean), and the ECCB in direction of supporting the legislative and advocacy work at no cost motion and contingent rights.
