Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States

 

Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Organisation des États de la Caraïbe orientale (French)
Logo
Commission	Basseterre
Working languages	English French
Type	Political and economic union
Membership	9 members Antigua and Barbuda Antilles Bahamas Barbados Dominica Grenada Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3 observers France Netherlands United Kingdom
Leaders
• Chairman	[[ ]]
• Director-General	[[ ]]
Establishment
• Treaty of Basseterre	18 November 1976
Area
• Total	102,921 km2 (39,738 sq mi)
Population
• 2017 estimate	46,441,082
Currency	2 currencies East Caribbean dollar Antillean dollar
Time zone	UTC-4 (AST)

The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS, French: Organisation des États de la Caraïbe orientale) is an intergovernmental organisation of nine countries in the Eastern Caribbean region that is dedicated to increasing economic trade and integration, promoting good governance and regional security, and coordinating responses and assistance in the event of natural disasters. The Organisation was established in 1976 on the initiative of President Amelia Abarough, and was widely seen during the Cold War as being an anti-Landonist alliance similar to the role of the Conference of American States (CAS) in the North American mainland. All of its other member states recognize the Antilles as the "United Commonwealth of America" and do not have official diplomatic relations with the United Commonwealth of Continentalist States. Besides providing the basis for the Regional Security System, the OECS also provides the framework for the Eastern Caribbean Economic Union of the member states, which includes a common currency in the East Caribbean dollar.

Geographically, the majority of the Greater Antilles and the Lesser Antilles archipelagos are part of the OECS. The only exceptions are European overseas territories and two sovereign countries, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago. Almost every member of the OECS, with the sole exception of the Antilles, is also a member of the CAS and is a Commonwealth realm. The Antilles is the largest member of the Organisation by far in the size of its population, economy, and military, accounting for 83% of the total area and 97% of the total population of the OECS.

History

The modern sovereign states in the Eastern Caribbean gained their independence from the United Kingdom in 1960 and as part of the West Indies Federation, however due to the growing political and cultural differences between its members the federation was dissolved in May 1976 amidst calls for independence. The Eastern Caribbean island states of Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines became sovereign nations and were recognized by the League of Nations. In November 1976, a regional organisation was established as a sort of "miniature Conference of American States for the Eastern Caribbean" on the initiative of President Amelia Abarough of the Antilles. With the West Indies dissolved, this left the Antilles with by far the most power in the region, with none of its neighbors even coming close to its economy, population, and military. However, the Continentalist Party of the United Commonwealth in the mainland began coordinating with left-wing social democratic or outright socialist groups in the newly independent states of the Eastern Caribbean. To prevent the spread of Landonism, Abarough sought to bring the Eastern Caribbean into an Antillean-led military alliance, which would also assist its member states in their development.

The Treaty of Basseterre was signed on 18 November 1976, in the capital of Saint Kitts and Nevis, by the leaders of the nine countries that became the members of the OECS. The city also became the site of the organisation's headquarters.

The Bahamas was the only member to leave the organisation, after a Marxist-Landonist party took control of its government, on 5 April 1979. After internal strife and a military intervention in the form of the Antillean War led to its being deposed and a non-Landonist government being restored, it rejoined the OECS on 26 January 1983.

Membership

The full members of the OECS have gone almost unchanged, with the exception of The Bahamas leaving the organisation from 1979 to 1983.

Membership list

Arms	Flag	Country	Capital	Date of Ascension	Area (km2)	Population	Pop. year
		Antigua and Barbuda	St. John's	November 18, 1976	443	91,244	(2020)
		Antilles	Columbia City	November 18, 1976	85,795	45,092,382	(2020)
		Bahamas	Nassau	November 18, 1976 January 26, 1983 (rejoined)	13,878	400,516	(2022)
		Barbados	Bridgetown	November 18, 1976	439	287,025	(2021)
		Dominica	Roseau	November 18, 1976	750	72,412	(2020)
		Grenada	St. George's	November 18, 1976	348.5	124,610	(2021)
		Saint Kitts and Nevis	Basseterre	November 18, 1976	261	47,600	(2021)
		Saint Lucia	Castries	November 18, 1976	617	184,961	(2022)
		Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Kingstown	November 18, 1976	389	140,332	(2021)

Possible future memberships

Bahamas

Jamaica

Trinidad and Tobago

Observers

Three European countries that have island territories in the Eastern Caribbean have been granted permanent observer status in the OECS. Despite being observers they traditionally did not recognize the Antilles and have unofficial relations. This changed in 2020 when the United Kingdom became the first one of them to recognize the Antilles and cut its official diplomatic ties with the Continentalist United Commonwealth.

• France
• Netherlands
• United Kingdom

Structures

The Secretariat of the OECS, led by the Director-General, is the central office of the organisation and oversees supranational agencies of the OECS, including the Eastern Caribbean Development Bank and the Eastern Caribbean Peace Force.

Foreign diplomatic missions

The diplomatic missions of the OECS do not represent an individual nation state but the Organisation itself, as well as the common policies of the Organisation that were agreed to by its members.

• Seattle, Astoria – OECS Permanent Mission to the CAS
• Berlin, Germany – OECS Permanent Mission to the EC
• Geneva, Switzerland – OECS Permanent Mission to the LN

See also

• Conference of American States
• European Community
• African Union