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BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, JUNE 12^th, 2016 (PRESS SEC) – Thirty-five years ago this week, the Treaty of Basseterre was signed on June 18^th, 1981 in the capital city of St. Kitts, establishing the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

The original signatories were Antigua and Barbuda (signed by Deputy Premier Lester Bird); Dominica (Prime Minister Mary Eugenia Charles); Grenada (Prime Minister Maurice Bishop); Montserrat (Minister of Education Franklyn Margetson); St. Kitts and Nevis (Premier Kennedy Simmonds); St. Lucia (Prime Minister Winston Cenac), and St. Vincent and the Grenadines (Deputy Prime Minister Hudson Tannis).  By signing the treaty, they agreed to cooperate with each other and promote unity and solidarity among the OECS membership.  The British Virgin Islands joined the OECS in November 1984 and Anguilla in May 1995; both are associate members.

This morning, Monday, June 13^th at 9:00am, the 35^th Anniversary Celebrations was  launched at a press conference which was broadcast via simulcast in all OECS Member States.  Dr. Didacus Jules, the Director General of the OECS Commission, will deliver welcome remarks.

The outgoing OECS Chairman, Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Keith Mitchell of Grenada, delivered the feature address at the press conference.  Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris delivered the  feature address as the incoming OECS Chairman.  The OECS Authority meets twice a year and its chairmanship changes every June.

A Q&A followed  the  presentation by Mr. Anthony Severin, the OECS Commission’s Head of International Relations, on the role of the OECS institutions.  In addition to Director General of the OECS Commission, Dr. Jules, the heads of the other OECS institutions were at the press conference including  Chief Justice of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC), the Honourable Dame Janice M. Pereira; Governor of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB), Mr. Timothy Antoine; Director General of the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority (ECCAA), Mr. Donald McPhail, and Managing Director of the Eastern Caribbean Telecommunications Authority (ECTEL), Mr. Embert Charles.

 

On Wednesday, June 15^th, starting at 9:30am, a church service will be held at the Immaculate Conception Church in Castries, St. Lucia, where the OECS Secretariat is based.

 

The complete list of the OECS’s 35^th Anniversary Week of Activities follows.

 

OECS 35th Anniversary Week of Activities June 13-18, 2016
Date	Activity	Venue
Monday, 13th June @ 9:00am	OECS Regional Press Conference: Launch of 35th Anniversary Celebrations	Video-conference across all Member States
Wednesday, 15th June @ 9:30am	OECS Church Service with sister Institutions ECCB, ECSC and ECTEL	Immaculate Conception Church, Castries, St. Lucia
Thursday, 16th June @ 10:00am	OECS Virtual Lecture Forum: Youth Empowerment in the OECS	Video-conference across all Member States
Friday, 17th June	OECS T-Shirt Day	OECS Commission
Saturday, 18th June	OECS DAY   Premiere of OECS Founding Forefathers Video Series	All Member States   Virtual Premiere

 

 

 

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