Last Updated on October 20, 2022, 8:26 AM AST by Anthony Morris
Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Dr Terrance Drew, delivered an address at the opening ceremony of the 72nd Meeting of the OECS Authority, Little Bay, Montserrat, on Wednesday, October 19, 2022.
During his opening statement, Dr Drew expressed his gratefulness to the chairman of the meeting. He stated, “I am grateful to you for allowing me to stand before you as head of government of St Kitts and Nevis following the historic triumph of St Kitts and Nevis Labour Party at the polls on August 5, 2022.
Further, he expressed his gratitude to the government and the people of Montserrat for the warm hospitality they extended to the members of the Prime Minister’s delegation and him. He stated that he was eagerly looking forward to experiencing more cultural offerings of the nation if time permitted us to do so.
Following the remarks, he stated that he was honoured to address the august body of leaders who share a strong commitment to regional integration, whether on economic, social, or environmental development.
According to Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew, the regional integration of the nations is not only robust but substantially deep and has a broad scope. Thus, integration touches all the pillars of sustainable development. Dr Drew stated that these pillars are firmly rooted in Basseterre and Chaguaramas’s Revised Treat(ies) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the United Nations level.
Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew urged the attendants of the OECS to consider his address against the large number of challenges the region’s leaders dealt with.
The most prominent among these challenges is the economic fallout caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic.
In addition, the world was counting on the leaders to combat issues like disruptions in global supply chains leading to significant increases in the price of essential commodities and the clear and ever-present danger posed by climate change. Dr Drew also mentioned the crisis currently experienced by our brothers and sisters in Haiti.
Directing his address to the Chairman, Dr Terrance Drew stated, “We must think of practical solutions to the challenges that confront us.”
In the opinion of the Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, These challenges obscure our clear vision and threaten to steer us away from the path of achieving our targets which are enshrined in the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
Further, Dr Terrance Drew urged the leaders never to lose sight of their ethos – working to make a difference in the lives of the people they have the privilege to lead.
Dr Terrance Drew remembered the original Treaty of Basseterre signing ceremony during his address.
The ceremony took place on the front steps of Government Headquarters in Basseterre. During the event, seven representatives from the governments of the WISA Council declared their commitment to the birth of a new regional organization – the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
Among other things, the mandate of the OECS was:
(i) to promote cooperation among the OECS Member States
(ii) to promote unity and solidarity among the member states and defend their sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence,
(iii) to aim to achieve the fullest possible harmonization of foreign policy among the Member States of the organization; to seek to adopt, as far as possible, a common position on international issues and to establish and maintain arrangements for joint overseas representation and standard services.
(iv) to promote economic integration among Member States of the OECS through provisions of an Agreement Establishing the East Caribbean Common Market.
Two decades later, the OECS evolved into an Economic Union, which deepened its level of integration, incorporating the free movement of all Member States’ nationals who signed the Protocol. This improved iteration of the OECS is prominent in the Revised Treaty of Basseterre.
Further, The Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Dr Terrance Drew stated that by inviting the attendees to take a walk down memory lane, he did not intend to evoke nostalgia or congratulate them on how far they have all come in this fearless path of regional integration.
On the contrary, He stated that he was inviting everyone to explore the possibilities of expanding the scope of our movement.
Further, Dr Terrance Drew stated that One of the defining features of the OECS is the “establishment of joint overseas representation and/or common services”.
He stated that Today OECS Member states have joint embassies in Brussels, Belgium, Rabat, and Morocco, along with a Technical Mission to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) in Geneva, Switzerland.
He insisted that they must build on this foundation and spread our diplomatic footprint on African Continent and further afield.
Anthony Morris covers stories related to politics and regional developments. His in-depth reporting about governance and reforms makes him stand out in regional journalism, with a deep analysis of political trends and their impact on Caribbean communities.
