Basseterre, St. Kitts – Nevis
February 12, 2008 (CUOPM)
Eastern Caribbean leaders have expressed concern about the high cost of external representation for individual Member States and have commissioned the St. Lucia-based Secretariat to undertake a comprehensive review of the costs and locations for current external representation, Member State by Member State, for submission to the Authority at its next meeting, as a basis for consideration of the options for further joint representation for the OECS Member States.
On the Geneva Mission in Switzerland, the OECS Authority welcomed and expressed thanks to the European Commission and to CARIFORUM for the approval of additional financing for the OECS Geneva Mission, within the framework of the CARIFORUM Institutional Strengthening Project (CISP) as a part of the 9th EDF Caribbean Regional Indicative Programme.
Heads of Government at their 46th Meeting in Dominica, accepted the plans by the Secretariat to significantly enhance the staffing of the Technical Mission with this support. It is envisioned that this financial injection will enable the Secretariat, through the Technical Mission to play an even more significant role in assisting the OECS Member States in the ongoing WTO negotiations.