January 26, 2022 – Chairman of the OECS Authority, Grenada’s Prime Minister, Dr. the Right Honourable Keith Mitchell on Wednesday reiterated the need for unity as member states confront a mix of challenges brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic as well as existing threats such as the impact of climate change.

In his opening remarks at the 71^st Meeting of the OECS Authority, Dr. Mitchell said the pandemic has helped to underscore the need for collective action.

He said, “Let us be clear and united, standing together to shape common solutions and acting with collective determination to succeed against the forces of nature, as well as the geopolitical dynamic that remains insensitive to us as small island developing and vulnerable states.”

The Grenadian leader acknowledged that the meeting was held against the backdrop of the ongoing challenges brought about by COVID-19, with frontline workers continuing to work around the clock, regional economies under pressure from pandemic fallout and OECS nationals coping with the impact of the pandemic on their lives and livelihoods.

Dr. Mitchell said, “Like waves of the pandemic, the occurrence of crises seems to come in ever shortening cycles and frequency, a scenario that poses a real challenge for the OECS, both at the national and sub-regional levels. Our governments, like this subregional organisation, are forced to adopt greater agility in their decision-making and this can only be achieved through more frequent dialogue among regional leaders and between leaders, their ministers and public service officials.”

Given the increased frequency of dialogue, Dr. Mitchell said, “It is therefore imperative for us to find ways of conducting our meetings with greater precision, more focused discussion and clear, decisive outcomes. It means therefore that our meetings must be short, but at the same time, yield the actions necessary to be undertaken with alacrity.”

The OECS Authority Chairman also noted that “The successive shortening waves of crises have forced governments to be preoccupied with the immediate and urgent and there is a real danger that in addressing these, we run the risk of missing out on the medium to long-term strategies that are necessary to further and accelerate the process of development in global conditions of uncertainty and volatility.” 

Compounding this already concerning impact, Dr. Mitchell also acknowledged the psychological impact of the pandemic, the mental fatigue it is creating and the growing despair among people. However, he noted there are several examples of hope and what is possible with courage and fortitude.

The agenda items for the 71^st Meeting of the OECS Authority included a number of regional integration matters relating to the free circulation of goods and the free movement of persons; the OECS work programme and budget, the adoption of the report of the 70^th meeting, the Chairman’s Report for the period 2020-2021 from the previous chairman.