Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Organisation des États de la Caraïbe orientale (French)
Flag Logo
Protocol member Associate member
Commission	Castries
Working languages	English French
Type	Political and economic union
Membership	7 protocol Antigua and Barbuda Dominica Grenada Montserrat Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4 associate Anguilla British Virgin Islands Guadeloupe Martinique
Leaders

• Chairman	Ralph Gonsalves
• Director-General	Didacus Jules

Establishment

• Treaty of Basseterre	18 June 1981
• Revised Treaty of Basseterre	21 January 2011

Area
• Total	2,709 km² (1,046 sq mi)
• Including Associate Members	5,910 km² (2,280 sq mi)
Population
• 2017 estimate	615,724
• Including Associate Members	1,434,212
• Density	215.6/km² (558.4/sq mi)
GDP (nominal)	2017 estimate
• Total	$6.7 billion $29.6 billion (Including Associate Members)
• Per capita	$10,879 $20,622 (Including Associate Members)
Currency	3 currencies East Caribbean Dollar (Protocol members and Anguilla) US Dollar (British Virgin Islands) Euro (Guadeloupe, Martinique)
Time zone	UTC -4 (AST)
Internet TLD	10 TLDs .ai .ag .vg .dm .gd .gp .mq/.fr .ms .kn .lc .vc

The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is a group of countries and territories in the Eastern Caribbean. It's like a team that works together. Their main goals are to help their economies grow, protect human rights, and encourage good leadership.

The OECS also helps its members share responsibility and support each other during natural disasters. The main office of the OECS is in Castries, the capital city of Saint Lucia.

The OECS runs an economic union within the larger CARICOM group. Eight members use the same money, called the Eastern Caribbean dollar. This is called the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union.

History of the OECS
Key Projects
- Common Passport Plans
- Working as One Economy
  - The Economic Union Treaty
Who are the Members?
- Future Members?
How the OECS Works
Security and Safety
OECS Missions Abroad
Health Services
Symbols of the OECS
See also

History of the OECS

The OECS was created on June 18, 1981. This happened with a special agreement called the Treaty of Basseterre. It was named after Basseterre, the capital of Saint Kitts and Nevis.

The OECS took over from an older group called the West Indies Associated States (WISA). Since then, the OECS countries have worked closely together. They have quickly become more connected in their economies.

Most OECS members are also part of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). They joined the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). This means they work together on trade and business.

Key Projects

Common Passport Plans

The OECS once planned to have a common passport for its members. This was supposed to start in 2003. However, the idea was put on hold.

The main reason was that the wider CARICOM group was also planning a common passport. Since the CARICOM Passport was introduced first in 2005, the OECS decided not to create its own passport.

Working as One Economy

In 2001, OECS leaders decided to create an economic union. This means the countries would act like one big market. The goal was to make it easier for goods, services, and people to move freely between member states.

The Economic Union Treaty

A new agreement, called the OECS Economic Union Treaty, was created. It was signed in 2010 and started in 2011. This treaty helps the countries work even more closely together.

Some of the main ideas in this treaty include:

Free movement of goods and services: This means products and services can be bought and sold easily between OECS countries.
Free movement of people: People from OECS countries can travel, work, and live in other OECS member states without many restrictions. This started in August 2011.
Common approach: Members work together on things like trade, health, education, and the environment.

This economic union helps OECS countries grow stronger together. It also fits in with the larger CARICOM goals.

Who are the Members?

The OECS has eleven members. They are islands that form a chain in the Leeward Islands and Windward Islands. Some are full members, and others are associate members.

Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, Guadeloupe, and Martinique are associate members. This means they are part of the OECS but their foreign relations are handled by their home countries (UK or France).

Most OECS members used to be colonies of the United Kingdom. Three are still UK overseas territories. Martinique and Guadeloupe are French departments. The close history and culture of these islands help them work together.

All seven full members started the OECS in 1981. The British Virgin Islands joined as an associate member in 1984. Anguilla followed in 1995. Martinique joined in 2016, and Guadeloupe in 2019.

Here is a list of the OECS members:

State	Status	Capital	Joined	Pop. ⁽²⁰¹⁷⁾	Area ^(km²)	GDP ^{(Nominal) (millions of US$)}	GDP ^{(Nominal) per cap.}	HDI ⁽²⁰²²⁾	Curr.	Official Language(s)
Antigua and Barbuda	Member	St. John's	Founder	091,244	0,443	01,524	$16,702	0.826	EC$	English
Commonwealth of Dominica	Member	Roseau	Founder	070,693	0,751	00,557	$07,879	0.740	EC$	English
Grenada	Member	St. George's	Founder	107,541	0,344	01,119	$10,405	0.793	EC$	English
Montserrat	Member	Brades	Founder	004,993	0,102	00,063	$12,301	–	EC$	English
Saint Kitts and Nevis	Member	Basseterre	Founder	055,411	0,261	00,964	$17,397	0.838	EC$	English
Saint Lucia	Member	Castries	Founder	175,498	0,617	01,684	$09,607	0.725	EC$	English
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Member	Kingstown	Founder	110,185	0,389	00,785	$07,124	0.772	EC$	English
Anguilla	Associate Member	The Valley	1995	015,253	0,096	00,337	$22,090	–	EC$	English
British Virgin Islands	Associate Member	Road Town	1984	035,015	0,151	01,164	$33,233	–	US$	English
Guadeloupe	Associate Member	Basse-Terre	2019	393,640	&&&&&&&&&&&01628.&&&&&01,628	10,946	$27,808	–	Euro	French
Martinique	Associate Member	Fort-de-France	2015	374,780	&&&&&&&&&&&01128.&&&&&01,128	10,438	$27,851	–	Euro	French

Future Members?

Other islands in the region have shown interest in joining the OECS. The United States Virgin Islands and islands from the former Netherlands Antilles like Saba and Sint Maarten have explored becoming associate members. However, none have joined yet.

How the OECS Works

The Secretariat

The OECS Secretariat building in Castries, Saint Lucia.

The OECS has a main office called the Secretariat. It is led by a Director General. This office helps the OECS members deal with global challenges. They work together to improve their economies and societies.

The Secretariat has different departments. These include External Relations, Functional Cooperation, Corporate Services, and Economic Affairs. They also work with other regional groups like the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank.

The current Director General of the OECS is Dr. Didacus Jules. He started his role in May 2014.

Central Bank

Many OECS members use the same money, the East Caribbean dollar. The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) manages this currency. It also makes sure banks in the region are stable.

The British Virgin Islands, Guadeloupe, and Martinique do not use the East Caribbean dollar. They use the US Dollar or the Euro.

Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court

The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) handles legal matters for the OECS countries. If a court case goes beyond the local High Court, it can be heard by the ECSC. For the highest appeals, cases go to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

Security and Safety

The OECS sub-region has a special military support group. It is called the Regional Security System (RSS). This group helps keep the region safe. It includes the independent OECS countries, plus Barbados and Guyana. The RSS gets support from countries like the United States and Canada.

OECS Missions Abroad

The OECS has offices in other countries to represent its members. For example, it has an embassy in Brussels, Belgium, and a delegation in Geneva, Switzerland. These offices help with international relations.

Health Services

The OECS has a special service for buying medicines. It's called the Pharmaceutical Procurement Service. This service buys medicines and health equipment for all member states. This helps them save money on important medical supplies.

Symbols of the OECS

The flag and logo of the OECS have a unique design. They feature a pattern of triangles on a pale green background. The flag was adopted on June 21, 2006.