First Sitting of OECS Assembly Set for August 10

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Regional

Saturday, 04 August 2012 02:30

By caribarena news

Antigua St. John’s - The first sitting of the Organisation of Eastern  Caribbean States (OECS) Assembly will be held at the Parliament Building of Antigua & Barbuda on Friday, August 10th 2012.

Among the highlights of this milestone event is the inspection of the Guard of Honour by the Governor General of Antigua & Barbuda, Dame Louise Lake-Tack and OECS Chairman, Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. the Hon. Ralph Gonsalves.

Also high on the session’s agenda is the election of the first Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the OECS Assembly.

In addition to an address from OECS Chairman, the Inaugural Session of the OECS Assembly will also feature addresses by Host Prime Minister Dr. the Hon. Baldwin Spencer, Premier of Montserrat Hon. Reuben Meade, who will address the ceremony on behalf of the Non-Independent Member States, and an address by a representative of the Political Opposition in the OECS.

The OECS Assembly will comprise five members of the Parliament of each independent Member State and three members from the Legislature of each non-independent Member State, with representation from both the ruling administration and the political opposition.

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Antigua & Barbuda will serve as the headquarters of the OECS Assembly; However, meetings of OECS Assembly may be convened in other Member States.

The OECS Assembly, which will meet at least twice per year, is one of five principal Organs established by the Revised Treaty of Basseterre Establishing the OECS Economic Union, and is one of the new Organs of the OECS.

The OECS Authority can request the OECS Assembly, which is a deliberative body, to consider and report on any area of interest to the organisation.

However, there are eight specific areas for which the Revised Treaty allows the OECS to develop legislation: the common market; monetary policy; trade policy; maritime jurisdiction and boundaries; civil aviation; commercial policy; environmental policy; and immigration policy.

These areas are critical in advancing the progress of OECS integration, and it is therefore important for OECS parliamentarians to have a common forum to debate these issues.

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