OECS Commissioners meet in St Lucia

The seventh meeting of the OECS Commission was held in St Lucia on May 15 to 16 to prepare for the meeting of the OECS Authority, which would be held in St Vincent and the Grenadines on June 10 to 12 and the inaugural sitting of the OECS Assembly, scheduled for June 15 in Antigua and Barbuda.{{more}}

The OECS Commissioners considered the work plan, budget and the work force plan for the next financial year, which begins in July 2012, for onward submission to the OECS Authority. The Commissioners also took the opportunity to meet with the staff of the Commission, which is headquartered in St Lucia.

It was agreed by the Commission that in addition to operationalization of the Economic Union, emphasis will placed on sensitizing the citizens of the OECS on the benefits to be derived from the economic union. Funds have been secured from the European Union to facilitate that programme.

The Commission was established under Article 7 of the Revised Treaty of Basseterre Establishing the Economic Union as a critical element of its new governance structure. The Commission comprises the Director General, who convenes and presides at meetings of the Commission and one Commissioner of Ambassadorial rank from each of the Member States. The Commission has responsibility for keeping the functions of the organization under constant review and reporting its findings to the relevant authorities. The Commissioners are the focal points in their member states for ensuring the implementation of the mandates of the OECS Economic Union.

Dr Ralph E. Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, assumes the Chairmanship of the OECS Authority from June 2012 to May 2013.