Who or What is the OECS?

So, last week we got you into the hype of International Women's Day (IWD). And this week I started telling you about youth development, and I mentioned how the OECS is helping youths — including myself. But I didn't take the time to tell you who the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is. I know it's here on the site, but sometimes we overlook these things. So, here goes…

The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) is an inter-governmental organisation dedicated to economic harmonisation and integration, the protection of human and legal rights, and the encouragement of good governance among the countries and territories of the Lesser Antilles in the Eastern Caribbean.

The OECS is a ten-member grouping of islands spread across the Eastern Caribbean. Together, they form an almost continuous archipelago across the eastern reaches of the Caribbean Sea. They comprise the Leeward Islands — Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, Anguilla, and the British Virgin Islands — and the Windward Islands: Dominica, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada and Martinique.

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The founding member states with full membership are Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, and Martinique are Associate Members but are treated as full members for many of the Organisation's activities, while Saint Martin is a non-member holding Observer status, taking part in the Organisation's activities without voting privileges. Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, and Montserrat remain overseas territories of the United Kingdom, while Martinique continues to be an overseas department and region of France.

Although six of the members were formerly colonies of the UK, there is no requirement for members to have been British colonies; nevertheless, the close historical, social and economic ties fostered by the British colonial heritage of most of the islands are as much a factor in their OECS membership as their geographical proximity. All — apart from Dominica, which is a Republic, and Martinique, a French department — recognise Queen Elizabeth II of Britain as their head of state.

I hope this helped you out a lil. Send me your opinion in the comments below, and I'll see you next week.

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