Regional integration is the cornerstone of the OECS. It is our belief that we are stronger together. The revised Treaty of Basseterre (2010) makes provision for an economic union among Member States.
Accelerating regional integration in the Eastern Caribbean region is multifaceted. Understanding this, the European Union through its 11th Economic Development Fund (EDF) partnered with the OECS Commission to further this strategic priority by implementing the Regional Integration Through Growth, Harmonisation and Technology (RIGHT) Programme.
The OECS is currently implementing this €11.320 million multidimensional projects which falls under three strategic themes:
1) Free Movement,
2) Sustainable Development, and
3) International Competitiveness
The Regional Integration Through Growth Harmonisation and Technology (RIGHT) Programme
The Regional Integration Through Growth Harmonisation and Technology (RIGHT) Programme is a €11 million programme funded by the European Union under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF). The main objective of the programme is to advance regional integration in the Eastern Caribbean in multiple key areas.
The RIGHT Programme is being implemented by the OECS Commission through its Economic Affairs and Regional Integration Division, along with multiple partners including the European Union (EU), INTERREG Caraïbes, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the World Bank and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The programme was launched in 2019 and should be completed in 2024.
Beneficiary countries
The Regional Integration Through Growth Harmonisation and Technology (RIGHT) Programme mainly aims to accelerate regional integration in multiple areas in specific Member States of the OECS namely, Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
Goals
The OECS Commission, through its Economic Affairs & Regional Integration Division, is mobilizing efforts to implement the Regional Integration Through Growth Harmonisation and Technology (RIGHT) Programme which has two main objectives:
to strengthen the architecture and operations of the OECS for enhanced efficiency and effectiveness of the integration process among its Member States and,
to promote a climate-resilient economy by increasing jobs and supporting growth.
Overall, the priority objective of the RIGHT Programme is to improve the lives and livelihoods of the people of the OECS by accelerating regional integration through reforming and implementing policies, providing technical and financial support to industries, elevating trade, building resilience and advancing the business environment.
Components
The Regional Integration Through Growth Harmonisation and Technology (RIGHT) Programme includes multiple components that are currently being implemented by the OECS Commission through its Economic Affairs and Regional Integration Division, along with Ministries of the OECS Member States and regional and international agencies:
The Common OECS Identification System will build on the platform already established through the Multi-Purpose Identification System (MPID) project. The project will assist participating OECS Member States in strengthening the three processes identified under the MPID, namely, the enrollment, the verification and the issuance of the OECS Common Identification (ID). This project is part of the RIGHT programme and it is being implemented together with the World Bank’s OECS Regional Health Project.
2- The Strengthening of the Border Management Systems
This project focuses on supporting participating OECS Member States to establish and operationalise a harmonised Border Management System (BMS), based on an OECS Border Harmonisation Initiative Project completed in May 2018. The interoperability of the BMS is critical in advancing regional integration in the Eastern Caribbean and in providing assistance to the immigration authorities with regards to identifying and recording travelers, including visitors and victims of natural disasters. This project will also assist in the identification and management of potential or actual security risks using biometric data for travelers moving anywhere and at any time within the OECS Single Economic Space. This project is being implemented in partnership with the Caribbean Community Implementing Agency for Crime and Security (CARICOM Impacs).
3 – The Short-term Social Security Benefits Portability
Currently, there is a break in the coverage for short-term social security benefits such as sickness, maternity, employment injury, and funeral costs for a period of six (6) months following the movement of people between Protocol Member States for employment and/or permanent residence. This project seeks to address this gap by supporting participating OECS Member States by facilitating the harmonised administration of social security benefits across the OECS.
4 – The Strengthening of the Consumer Protection Environment
The focus of this project will be capacity building among key stakeholders for the implementation of an OECS Competition and Consumer Protection Framework. Activities will aim at determining and establishing an appropriate OECS-wide competition commission facility.
5 – The Establishment of a Free Circulation of Goods Legislative Framework
The OECS Commission is advancing five pieces of primary legislation for enactment, which it considers a minimum to achieve operationalisation of the customs union and the desired free circulation of goods. This component of the RIGHT Programme is critical for regional integration in the Eastern Caribbean.
6 – The Harmonisation of the OECS Border Tax Structure
The objective of this project is to help develop a harmonised border management structure for the OECS Customs Union which is efficient, predictable, and transparent in managing the importation and exportation of goods into the Eastern Caribbean Economic Union and facilitates the free circulation of goods among Protocol Member States.
7 – The Introduction of a Regional Risk Management System for the OECS Customs Union
The operationalisation of a Regional Risk Management System entails efficient inter- agency connectivity to enhance national risk management programmes as well as cross border connectivity of national border agencies to facilitate real-time exchange of risk-related information. This includes national pest and pesticides lists; lists of prohibited goods; rejections, detentions and quarantining of consignments; and rapid alert notifications of international, regional, and national threats to health, safety, and security of the Eastern Caribbean Economic Union.
8 – The Development of an Integrated Services Business Eco-System
Their component of the RIGHT Programme is a clear case for an improved business environment and regulatory framework within the OECS. The proposed reforms are intended to unlock the full economic and investment potential of Member States. In response, this project will include the following five activities aimed at strengthening the ecosystem to facilitate trade in services in the Eastern Caribbean Economic Union and to advance regional integration in the Eastern Caribbean:
Activity: Promoting of Legislative Reforms
Activity: Establishment of an E-Registry
Activity: Development of a Regulatory Reform Checklist
Activity: Establishment of a Point of Single Contact
Activity: Conduct of Diagnostic Assessments
9 – The Empowerment of the OECS through Data
Informed citizens are empowered citizens. Empowered citizens are equipped to make good decisions about their lives and livelihood. Good decisions require quality data that are publicly available and that are accessible anytime and anywhere. The implementation of the OECS Regional Strategy for the Development of Statistics (RSDS) is consolidating the OECS integration processes based on strengthened economic resilience and sustainability. The specific objective of this programme is to strengthen the architecture and operations of the Eastern Caribbean Economic Union for enhanced efficiency and effectiveness of the integration process among its Member States.
10 – The Support of Regional Cooperation
This project underpins the overall implementation methodology which aims to strengthen the institutions of the Eastern Caribbean Economic Union through capacity building, networking and sharing of best practices.
11 – The Promotion of Innovative Entrepreneurship
The interventions earmarked under this project are a subset of the recommendations of Compete Caribbean OECS Innovation and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Diagnostic Scoping Report 2. To nurture the development and growth of start ups and secure their sustainability, this project will focus on supporting potential high-growth MSMEs through the establishment of Incubator and Accelerator Programmes.
12 – The Enhancement of Tourism Competitiveness
This project aims at enhancing the product offering of the tourism sector across OECS Member States. The two major elements of this component include improvement in the Heritage and Community Based Tourism Product. This project also provides resources for institutional strengthening and the deployment of a Niche Tourism Marketing strategy.
13 – The Increase of Opportunities for Market Entry and Promotion
This is a major part of the RIGHT Programme which will deepen regional integration in the Eastern Caribbean. A key output under this activity is the OECS Virtual Expo which will be supported by a sustainable financing model predicated on a fee-for-service model. This activity will entail the development of a virtual e-Business solution that would be multifunctional in nature and seek to link OECS goods and services suppliers with potential opportunities. The OECS Competitive Business Unit and the network of Business support organisations have collaborated with CROSQ and national Standards Bureaus to provide capacity building and training for firms on quality and standards related issues. This intervention aims to build on this capacity by working directly with those exporters that are pursuing the implementation of international standards and quality management systems and providing them with the technical support to successfully attain the accreditation.
14 – The Blue BioTrade Project
The Blue BioTrade Project is a €2 million initiative that was launched in October 2020. The project mainly aims to empower small-scale coastal producers from the Eastern Caribbean to produce and trade queen conch products sustainably in domestic, regional, and international markets. The Blue BioTrade Initiative is being implemented by the OECS Commission and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in partnership with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).
The Blue BioTrade Project was launched in 2020 and should be completed in 2022.
15 – The implementation of the OECS Development Strategy
The OECS Development Strategy (ODS) represents the systematic approach adopted by the Eastern Caribbean Economic Union to holistically respond to pressing threats to the common ideal of social and economic betterment of the peoples of the OECS. The ODS has been developed around three pillars:
1. Generating Economic Growth;
2. Promoting Human and Social Wellbeing;
3. Sustainable Use of Natural Endowments.
The ODS covers the 10-year period to 2028 and while it is firmly situated in the realities of the OECS, it is aligned to various multilateral development agenda, including especially the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
16 – The Support of the OECS Business Council
The OECS private sector through the institutionalisation of the OECS Business Council (OBC) has embarked on a mission to deliver a transformational organisation to represent their interests. As part of the RIGHT Programme, this apex body is advancing a cooperative initiative which is envisioned to become an economically competitive and sustainable force that will deepen regional integration in the Eastern Caribbean.
17 – The Harmonisation of the OECS Investment Frameworks
OECS Member States must both collaborate to seek new, innovative approaches to secure increased foreign investment but also to coordinate and harmonize their investment generation strategies to gain maximum benefits for the region. This project aims to establish a common regional investment promotion framework to create a governance architecture for investment promotion and facilitation based on international best practice, in particular, the facilitation of a common approach towards governance and regulatory process for the various national Citizenship by Investment Programmes (CIPs).
