Friday, January 28, 2022 — The Seventy-First (71st) Meeting of the OECS Authority was held virtually on Wednesday January 25th 2022, under the Chairmanship of The Right Honourable Dr. Keith Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada.
Against the backdrop of the continuing challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, in the main, the meeting discussed, inter alia:
a) Status Update on ECCAA
b) The acceleration of Regional Integration
c) COP26 and the OECS Assembly
d) Regularisation of ECLS
e) Major Initiatives in Education and COVID19 Update
Prime Minister and Chairman of the OECS Authority, The Rt. Hon. Dr. Keith Mitchell in his opening address to the meeting, highlighted the continued impacts of the pandemic on the lives and livelihoods of all citizens and the economies of the OECS and the need for continued dialogue amongst Member States to address issues of concern.
All citizens are still coming to terms with the impact of the pandemic on their lives. Like the waves of the pandemic, the occurrence of the crises seems to come in increasingly short cycles and frequencies, a scenario that poses a real challenge for OECS Member States, both at the national and subregional levels.
He stated that the Governments of the region are forced to adopt greater agility in their decision making and this can only be achieved through more and frequent dialogue amongst heads and between Heads of Governments and that this was not a time to beat separate paths trying to slay the COVID dragon. The meeting was encouraged to shape common solutions, acting with collective determination to succeed against the forces of nature and the geopolitical dynamics that remain insensitive to small island developing and vulnerable spaces.
The Director General of the OECS Commission Dr. Didacus Jules in his opening remarks to the meeting acknowledged that,
The unrelenting pandemic as well as the compounding impacts of successive disasters in the region had brought us all to a breaking point.
He lamented the continued,
Unscientific propaganda which had infected the ‘public street’ of the region and had incubated a strong demographic of vaccine hesitancy and opposition.
He stated that the OECS Commission had seized the opportunity of the pandemic to accelerate regional integration and to adopt transformational technologies that would make the Commission more nimble. He pledged that the Commission would continue to focus on the initiatives in progress and the plans for the acceleration of the Revised Treaty of Basseterre.
The President of the Executive Council of the Territorial Collectivity of Martinique, Hon. Serge Letchimy, took the opportunity to address the Heads of Governments, and provided an update on the detailed collaboration proposals between Martinique and the other OECS Member States. He pledged Martinique’s support towards deepening regional integration efforts in the OECS.
a) Status Update on ECCAA
Further to the downgrading from Category One a few years ago, the ECCAA continues all efforts at restoration of its status. The OECS Authority received a presentation from the Director General of ECCAA, Mr. Anthony Whittier that provided highlights of corrective action taken by member states as well as the legislative process which ECCAA has undertaken on route to category one status. The Director General proposed amendments and recommendations on the way forward, which were well received by the Heads of Governments.
b) The acceleration of Regional Integration
Along the lines of Regional Integration matters, advanced by the OECS Commission, the Authority received a presentation from the Economic Affairs and Regional Integration Division (EARID) on Competition Commission and Consumer Protection; the Free circulation of Goods; Bills; and the Free Movement of People Regime. Highlighted were the need for attention to the legislations required to effect implementation of some of those initiatives and for the operationalisation of important milestones. Member States were encouraged to move with alacrity in passing the necessary legislations to strengthen the free circulation of goods and Free Movement of People regimes. An update was also provided on the establishment of an OECS Customs Union.
c) COP26 and the OECS Assembly
Following a successful participation at COP26, the Commission reported its plans for the 6th Sitting of the OECS Assembly. The Authority was invited to consider recommendations for the 6th Sitting which is intended to focus on climate resilience and action. The 6th Sitting of the OECS Assembly is expected to be convened within the first quarter of 2022 and will be executed using a hybrid approach (Physical/Virtual). A combined report on the yearly activities of the OECS Assembly for the past two (2) financial years,was also placed before the meeting.
d) Regularisation of the Status of the ECLS
In relation to the Seasonal Agriculture Workers Programme, the Authority received an update on the Eastern Caribbean Liaison Service (ECLS) on the OECS’ 2021 participation in Canada’s Temporary Foreign Works Program as well as the status of the regularization of the status of the ECLS in Canada. The ECLS has been able to maintain the levels of worker participation in the programme as well as exploit as many opportunities that might be available, some of them due to the COVID situation. The ECLS further confirmed to the meeting that Member States of Martinique and Guadeloupe has been approved to participate in the AgStream and Non-Agriculture (Quebec) programmes but not the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) which was born out of bilateral agreements with the Member States involved.
e) Major Initiatives in Education and COVID19 Update
In closing, the meeting received an update on the major initiatives in Education and the efforts undertaken by the Commission. The update demonstrated the impact of the pandemic on the economy, health, tourism and education in the OECS and provided a thorough overview of the OECS Commission’s response to the pandemic across all sectors, highlighting the importance and effectiveness of the Commission’s multi sector approach. Among the major issues discussed at the Authority Meeting was the impact of the pandemic on the education system in the OECS. Heads of Governments present supported the need for critical intervention in this area, to arrest the devastating impact on the learning of our children and called on the OECS Commission to design regional solutions to this challenge. The Authority agreed to convene a special session in the coming weeks to focus on the work being done in the education sphere to address the learning deficit.
ATTENDANCE
Heads of Governments, Representatives of Governments and Dignitaries in attendance included;
Chairman of the Authority The Rt. Hon. Dr. Keith Mitchell, Prime Minister of Grenada
Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit of Commonwealth of Dominica
Premier of Montserrat Hon. Easton Taylor-Farrell
Prime Minister of the Federation of Saint Kitts & Nevis Hon. Dr. Timothy Harris
Prime Minister of Saint Lucia Hon. Phillip J. Pierre
Prime Minister of Saint Vincent & the Grenadines Hon. Dr. Ralph E. Gonsalves
Premier of Anguilla Hon. Dr. Ellis Webster
President of the Executive Council of Territorial Collectivity of Martinique Hon. Serge Letchimy
Mr. Patrick Sellin (Representing the President of the Regional Council of Guadeloupe)
Director General of the OECS, Dr. Didacus Jules
Director General of ECCAA Mr. Anthony Whittier
Commissioners of Member States to the OECS
Directors and Staff of the OECS Commission
