Under the leadership of its President Louis MUSSINGTON, the Collectivité of Saint Martin will host the 76th Plenary Meeting of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) on March 19 and 20, 2025, at the Secrets Resort & Spa Hotel in Anse Marcel. During this major event, the Collectivité of Saint Martin will become an Associate Member of the OECS on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at 4:30 p.m., in the presence of 11 Heads of Government, including two French regions, all members of the OECS.
On March 19th and 20th, the Overseas Collectivité of Saint Martin will embrace Caribbean cooperation and, more broadly, "territorial diplomacy." Saint Martin's accession ceremony on March 19 and the 76th Plenary Meeting of Member States on March 20 will take place at the Secret Resort & Spa, attended by representatives of the 11 OECS Member States: Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, the British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Martinique, Guadeloupe, St. Lucia, Antigua & Barbuda (excused), with St. Martin soon joining.
Under the chairmanship of the Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Hon. Philip J. PIERRE, and the Executive Director of H.E. Dr. Didacus JULES, the OECS is a key intergovernmental international organization, established on June 18th, 1981, dedicated to regional integration in the Eastern Caribbean.
Ahead of the accession ceremony, President Louis Mussington and H.E. Dr. Didacus Jules, Director General of the OECS, hosted a citizen dialogue on Monday, March 17th, at the Maison des Entreprises (St Martin Chamber building) to explain the role of the OECS as a genuine Caribbean economic space, as well as the strategic cooperation challenges and benefits for Saint Martin joining the OECS.
As the President Louis Mussington stated:
"Saint Martin must position itself within its sphere of influence and make its voice heard among the Caribbean islands. Regional and international cooperation is now at the heart of economic strategies, and St Martin must be able to thrive and take part in the collective reflections of member states on key issues such as Education, Social Action, Disaster Risk Prevention, Security and biodiversity protection.”.
The 76th Plenary Meeting of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) will officially commence with the opening ceremony and the accession of Saint Martin on Wednesday, March 19th, at 4:30 p.m. The accession ceremony will be broadcast live on the OECS YouTube page and the Facebook pages of OECS and the Collectivité of St Martin. A cultural program showcasing of the territory’s heritage will accompany the official proceedings.
The Collectivité of Saint Martin, its elected representatives, and the OECS members invite the people of St Martin and residents of neighboring islands to follow this major event for the future of Saint Martin and eastern Caribbean cooperation.
