Saint-Martin's accession to Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) will be made official at a ceremony to be held on March 19 and 20 at the Secret Hotel in Anse Marcel, in the presence of the 11 member heads of state of the organization as well as the Director General of the OECS, Dr. Didacus Jules.
This event, of a diplomatic scope and major policy, aims to establish Saint-Martin's place in the dynamics of regional cooperation and to open up new development opportunities for the Community.
Before this officialization, a citizen dialogue is planned on March 17 to the CCISM in order to inform the population about the issues of this membership. This moment of exchanges will allow to better understand the role and the missions of the OECS as well as the advantages that this integration will bring to the Saint-Martinois, in particular in terms of economic, social and cultural cooperation. Several interventions on the radio waves are also scheduled for raise awareness.
The OECO, created in 1981, is a regional organization which aims to strengthen unity and solidarity among its members. It plays a key role in coordinating the region's economic, environmental and educational policies, and in particular helps to harmonize certain policies and promote the free circulation citizens, goods and services.
Headquartered in Castries (Saint Lucia), the OECS has until now brought together 11 States and territories of the Caribbean basin. Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have been members since its creation. The British Virgin Islands (1984), Anguilla (1995), Martinique (2015) and Guadeloupe (2019) are associate members. The Collectivité of Saint-Martin will therefore become the 12th partner, and the 5th associate member of this international intergovernmental organization dedicated to regional integration in the Eastern Caribbean.
This integration will have no impact on the institutional functioning of the Community, which will retain its autonomy while benefiting from the many advantages linked to regional cooperation, in agreement with the French State: “On the national level, there is a political will to support us in this direction (see the CIOM measures (editor's note). And there will be no distinction between founding members and associate members, we are all on an equal footing,” specifies Louis Mussington.
The President of the Collectivity, Louis Mussington, expressed his commitment to this integration, stressing the importance of the historical exchanges between Saint-Martin and the other territories of the region: “My efforts consist of saying that we have a role to play, to be more integrated and play our role in this large area that is the Caribbean”.
By mobilizing funds Interreg, he wants to see the young Saint-Martinois to open up more to Caribbean culture and actively participate in the construction of a strong and united regional space.
On March 19, the protocol ceremony will begin at 16:30 p.m. with an official session including the signing of the Accession Agreement and speeches by dignitaries including Dr. Didacus Jules, Director General of the OECS, Reuben Meade, Prime Minister of Montserrat, Philip Joseph Pierre, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, and President Mussington. 76th plenary session The OECS will be held the following day, March 20, addressing the prospects for cooperation and the strategic challenges of the organization.
The membership of Saint-Martin represents a annual investment of €201.000, a sum which will enable the Community to actively participate in regional initiatives and benefit from the opportunities offered by the OECS. _Vx
Source: Faxinfo https://faxinfo.fr/en/societe-cooperation-regionale-saint-martin-sinscrit-pleinement-dans-loeco/
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