Seul le prononcé fait foi
Prime Minister of Saint Lucia and Chairman of the OECS Authority, Honorable Philip J. Pierre
Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica, Honourable Roosevelt Skerrit
Prime Minister of Grenada, Honourable Dickon Mitchell
Premier of Montserrat, Honourable Reuben T. Meade
Prime Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis, Honourable Dr. Terrance Drew
Premier of the British Virgin Islands, Honourable Natalio Wheatley
Premier of Anguilla, Honourable Cora Richardson–Hodge
President of the Collectivity of Saint Martin, Honourable Louis Mussington
Minister of Finance and Official Representative of the Government of Saint Vincent of the Grenadines, Honourable Camillo Gonsalves
2nd Vice President and Official Representative of the Regional Council of Guadeloupe, Madame. Marie Luce Penchard
Elected Member of the Assembly of Martinique and Official Representative of the President of the Executive Council, Madame Michelle Monrose
Ministers of Governments of the OECS Member States
Director General of the OECS, His Excellency Dr. Didacus Jules
Ambassador of France towards Eastern Carribbean state Saint-Lucia, BARBADOS & OECS,
Monsieur le Préfet, Cyrille Le Vély
Elected Members of the territorial council of Saint-Martin,
Elected Member of Sint Maarten, Mme Mélissa Gumbs
Elected member of Saint-Barthélémy, Madame Mélissa Lake
Ambassadors and Commissioners of the OECS Member States
Director General of the Eastern Caribbean Civil Aviation Authority, Mr. Anthony Whittier
Representative of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, Mr. Gregory Girard
Delegates of the OECS Member States to the 76th Meeting of the OECS Authority
Dear local partners, in your ranks and qualities
Today, I take great joy in what is happening and being a part of it.
For some reason, as I look back, it feels like my involvement in bringing about change within the reality of the subregion that my island, St Martin belongs to, is finally shaping up and taking on a true significance.
Don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that this is the pinnacle.
However, this ceremony of accession of Saint-Martin to OECS is definitely a key moment for Saint-Martin, an historical one.
As I’m looking to the audience I see cultural diversity, I see our young caribbean from Saint-Martin, the future of our Island involved as well in sharing this moment with us.
My dear friends of Saint-Martin,
Much has been accomplished. The change of Status in 2007 has been a major accomplishment that we are still busy finetuning. Since its implementation, some progress has been achieved in the manner in which we relate to France, to the other French overseas territories and outermost regions or even to European countries. Yet, much precision much detailed understanding still needs to be gained and added to the actual prerogatives, privileges, and specificities we could enjoy on the basis of our community, Saint-Martin, being governed by article 74 of the French Constitution and by article 349 at the European level
As a French Outermost Region, our intention is to sharpely define the particulars that will characterize the actual profile of our island, which, from times passed, has been inclined to Caribbean integration while none of its French sibblings saw the need for it. The question before us today is, how does this territory become a spearhead of new realities within this regional or international organization that it joins? could this new move be the opportunity to translate convictions that have always animated the leaders of this territory as they have had to govern it over the past 60 to 70 years?
Saint-Martin has always been an integral part of the subregional reality that is constituted of the British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, St Kitts & Nevis, Saba, Statia, Sint Maarten and Saint Barthélemy. Most families here have blood ties in the neighboring islands. There’s a popular saying on Saint-Martin from a former politician that goes:” the gale does not stop at the border”. If this is not a clear indication that our concerns have always gone further that physical borders of this territory, then I have not been listening to them. What concerns one, concerns all, and so the idea of integration has been one that we have been toying with for many, many years now without being able to give it a precise definition.
Some may say that the concept of Caribbean integration has been a topic of discussion for decades, yet attaining its reality remains elusive. I grant it to them; some significant barriers still exist, preventing the seamless integration of Caribbean countries and territories, and may I say that that is the perspective of the pessimitic and short-sighted even though we are witnessing the accession of Saint-Martin to the OECS, allow me to say that for the optimistic, more than a distant ideal, as we are about to accede to the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, is looking more like an achievable goal.
Some may even ask why member states should accede to the OECS when there are so many economic disparities.
If limitations of small size have been the main motive for economic integration initiatives, I invite you to observe the ever existing extra-economic motives for the broader project of regional integration.
These include sharing the costs of common services and functional cooperation, pooling bargaining power in international fora and affirming a common West Indian identity. When European countries do it, it makes sense. When the United States of America do it, it makes sense, when Asian countries do it, it makes senses, when the island of the Pacific do it, it makes. As we are joining the OECS to share the costs of common services and launch functional cooperation, as we chose to pool our bargaining power as we relate in international fora and affirm a common West Indian identity, the nit also makes perfect sense!
“Emancipating ourselves from mental slavery” has been admonished to us to by a famous thinker that I think I do not even need to name... That is excactly and precisely what we are doing.
If the Caribbean authorities broadly agree that integration should remain a top priority and greater collaboration is critical to tackle common challenges, it is therefore important for Saint-Martin to capitalize on this momentum.
Factors that promote regional integration may be looked on as both domestic and external matters that affect the region, chief among them are globalization and trade liberalization.
On a broader level, recent geopolitical developments herald turbulent times, a redefinition of the world's political landscape, and the emergence of a new world order. A new form of modern-day crusade is emerging. It is through unity anchored in our shared Caribbean identity, and our common will to work together to achieve the interests and ambitions of our respective populations, including those of Saint-Martin, that we will face up to this challenge.
Think about it, though we are diverse, some speaking English, some Spanish, some Dutch, some Creole or Papiamentu and some French, we have a common history and cultural heritage, especially as former colonies of European powers.
As Caribbean countries, we share common economic and social issues.
As small insular territories, our countries are also affected by the effects of globalization, trade liberalization, trading blocs
The region that we constitute – because we are ONE region - is facing vulnerability and volatility to external economic shocks and natural disasters.
Cooperation by working together as a region will help to overcome the challenges of having a small population and economy.This is so as cooperation and integration, particularly in trade, will produce a larger regional market.
I am not teaching you anything when I say “there is strength in unity”. The Caribbean must take this literally if we are to promote and benefit from regional integration. That will increase necessary cooperation among island territoriers or states as we venture more into the future. .As a group, our countries will be better able to negotiate among the world’s most powerful nations. Integration will further help us to compete internationally as a united group. This venture will also help them to reduce the negative effects that are presumed to be associated with issues such as globalization. It should, therefore, help us to be better able to respond to economic implications of globalization and trade liberalization.
There will be an improvement in the duality of life of the population as a result of access to a variety of goods and services. Each individual island will have many more persons to whom goods can be sold, apart from those within its own immediate borders. The development of various groups, institutions and organizations that will respond to the needs of each island as it seeks to promote the freedom of travel among islands and the ability to find work, which should decrease unemployment and underemployment.
Greater cooperation is the key to furthering regional integration in the Caribbean. While these economies’ small size and supply constraints may potentially limit benefits from economic integration, acting as a group can enhance the scale, bringing widespread benefits and helping the region further tap into global value chains. That is, regional integration should not be an end-goal, but a means to an end of deepening Caribbean integration into the global economy.
Significant economic differences exist between Caribbean nations, with GDP per capita varying widely. These disparities impact the feasibility of uniform economic policies and contribute to uneven development and investment opportunities across the region.
Long-standing historical grievances and territorial disputes continue to hinder diplomatic relations and cooperation among Caribbean territories. These issues are deeply embedded in the national identities and historical narratives of the countries involved, complicating efforts towards regional integration. But as Saint-Martin joins the OECS, as a Collectivité d’Outre-Mer, governed by article 74 of the Constitution and enjoying autonomy, new possibilities, labeled as “territorial diplomacy” ly ahead, introducing potential arrangements that could only push relationships forward.
Territorial diplomacy is the “small” foreign policy practised by local and regional authorities, who thereby become genuine actors in international relations. It originally began with the policy of Franco-German town-twinning after World War Two for the purpose of reconciliation. With the autonomous Overseas Community of Saint-Martin, joining the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, a new type of reconciliation is being tackled. The prodigal child is finally returning home to participate in the management of the affairs of the Caribbean as a homestead.
I am therefore very pleased to officially announce today the deployment of a genuine regional External Action policy for Saint-Martin. Today, through our membership of the OECS, we are establishing a formal inter-institutional dialogue. This closer relationship with our neighbours will be supported by strengthened and structured cooperation and initiatives in a variety of areas such as health and medical services, SME growth, trade and education, to name but a few.
This quest for economic prosperity and human development for my fellow citizens makes all the more sense given that Saint-Martin, despite its small size, is geo-strategically positioned and belongs to two spheres of political influence: one immediate and Caribbean, the other more distant and European.
My dear friends of the Friendly Island,
Saint-Martin is making its regional integration official today. To integrate, borrowed from the Latin ‘INTREGRARE’, means that our membership of the OECS will ‘REPAIR’ this missing part of ourselves.
Saint-Martin, as a land of resilience,
Saint-Martin, as a land of diversity,
Saint-Martin, united and supportive,
Saint-Martin, as associate member of the OECS
To face together a single common destiny for a stronger and more resilient Caribbean.
Louis MUSSINGTON
