The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission successfully concluded a series of high-level ministerial meetings aimed at fostering regional development and sustainability through quality education and social empowerment. The three sessions, held from September 10-12, 2024, in the Federation of Saint Christopher (Saint Kitts) and Nevis, included the Ninth Meeting of the OECS Council of Ministers: Human and Social Development on September 10; the Inaugural Meeting of the Joint Council of Ministers: Health, Human & Social Development and Education on September 11; and the Ninth Meeting of the OECS Council of Ministers: Education on September 12.
The meetings were centred around the theme: “Regional Development and Sustainability through Quality Education and Social Empowerment.” They brought together OECS Member States and Development Partners for purposeful discussions on ways to integrate and accelerate human and social development in the region through the prism of knowledge sharing and collaboration. We were reminded that social empowerment is the cornerstone of our development and that through these discussions we find ways to be more cohesive and advance our sustainability agenda.
Additionally, a significant feature of the joint meetings was the inclusion and participation of youth observers from the Saint Kitts and Nevis Youth Parliament which was initiated in 2023 at the OECS Council of Ministers: Education held in Antigua and Barbuda. Its continuation underscores the Commission’s commitment to the OECS Youth Empowerment Strategy (YES), empowering the youth of the Eastern Caribbean and ensuring they are given the opportunity to engage in a national dialogue to shape the future they will inherit.
The first meeting to be convened was the Ninth Meeting of the OECS Council of Ministers: Human and Social Development on September 10. Senator the Honourable Isalean Phillips Minister of Government with responsibility for the Ministry of Social Development and Gender Affairs of the Federation of Saint Christopher (St. Kitts) and Nevis served as the Chair.
The Honourable Dwayne George, Junior Minister for Finance and Corporate Governance, Antigua and Barbuda and Designate of the Outgoing Chair, the Honourable Samantha Marshal, remarked,
“Over the course of our term we have faced unprecedented challenges, but also seized extraordinary opportunities to shape the future of our nations and our communities. Human and social development is the cornerstone of sustainable progress.”
Welcoming delegates, the Chair, Hon. Isalean Phillips highlighted the importance of collaboration as Member States work towards advancing social protection. The Hon. Chair emphasized,
“We really need to be able to be interministerial in our approaches and we really need to be able to see how we can strengthen the interdependency so that we can be a lot more cohesive in our work, not just ministerially but also across the region.”
Also addressing delegates at that session, His Excellency, Dr Didacus Jules, Director General of the OECS stated,
“The concept of adaptive social protection and building community resilience are critical to our human development efforts, whether in health, social services or education, and these approaches cannot operate in silos. We must breakdown silos and adopt transdisciplinary approaches, and at times radical approaches to foster resilience.”
The Ninth Meeting of the OECS Council of Ministers: Human and Social Development (COM: HSD) focused on strategies to uplift the social fabric of the OECS Member States. The primary objectives were to:
- Share innovative ideas and accomplishments within the social sphere with a special focus on social empowerment through peer engagement and learning, contributing to human and social development at the national and regional levels.
- Agree on strategic positions for social development and an update on the implementation of the Social Inclusion Social Protection (SISP) Strategic Action Plan-(2023-2030) with Member States.
- Secure the support and collaboration of regional agencies and development partners in the social responsiveness allowing for more adaptive and integrated social protection measures.
Among the key outcomes of the meeting, Ministers agreed to be intentional about opportunities for peer engagement/learning for knowledge sharing and building communities of practice among Ministries of social development in the OECS.
Other key outcomes from the meeting garnering full support from the Ministers include the development of an OECS Regional Child Policy, Strategic Plan and Monitoring and Evaluation Framework. This framework will include strategic interventions in mental health, digital safety, and climate resilience and adaptation. These outcomes are linked to the Social Inclusion, Social Protection Action Plan (2022-2030) as an instrument that can deepen collaboration among member states with the full support of the Ministers in its implementation. The Ministers continue to recognize and applaud the efforts of the development partners in the harmonisation of social protection systems through knowledge-sharing activities, and technical and financial assistance.
Another major output of the COM: HSD meeting was the sharing of good practices on models of social assistance/ protection implemented in Member States, namely Saint Lucia, Saint Christopher and Nevis and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Member States agreed to the continuation of this knowledge exchange at future Council Meetings, as the challenges confronted are the same across OECS Member States.
As part of the scheduled meetings, the Inaugural Meeting of the Joint Council of Ministers: Health, Human & Social Development and Education was convened on September 11. This joint session explored the critical synergies between these critical sectors. It was chaired by the Honourable Dr Geoffrey Hanley, Minister for Education and Social Development, the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, with the Honourable Vincent O. Wheatley, Minister of Health and Social Development, Virgin Islands (British Virgin Islands), serving as Co-Chair.
The key objectives of the joint session were to:
- Review and align strategies for health, social development and education with the OECS Education Sector Strategy, Social Inclusion Social Protection Action Plan and the Regional Health Commitments.
- Discuss regional challenges and share innovative solutions in thematic areas in education, social development and health among Member States.
- Foster collaboration between Health, Social and Education Ministries to develop joint approaches and policies for regional development and sustainability.
- Establish action points for the harmonisation of systems across Member States to improve access to quality education, and social and health services throughout the region.
As part of the outcomes, the use of data from the enhanced Country Poverty Assessment (eCPA) for decision-making and enhancing the effectiveness of policymaking and programme implementation, received full support from the Ministers. This support includes opportunities for national capacity building, improved regional data-sharing practices across the Ministries of Health, Education and Social Development for better targetting, policy as well as programme development, and the use of a standardized Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) framework.
Health and nutrition were also high on the agenda at the joint session. The World Food Programme presented the objectives of the Global Schools Meals Coalition and how this could boost school feeding in the Eastern Caribbean region. The OECS Commission agreed to join the Global Schools Meals Coalition. Member States also agreed to sign onto the School Feeding Coalition and will establish their unique arrangements. Additionally, a decision was made to reinforce efforts to address and eliminate childhood obesity in the region, and the OECS Commission proposed the formation of a working group to conduct a thorough examination of youth-related concerns.
The series of ministerial meetings culminated on September 12, with the Ninth Meeting of the OECS Council of Ministers: Education (COM: Edu). This session explored ways to enhance learning and addressed the role of education in driving sustainable regional progress. It was chaired by the Honourable Dr Geoffrey Hanley, Minister for Education and Social Development, the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis.
The main objectives were to provide policymakers with an opportunity to:
- Examine selected key education issues, in keeping with the OECS Education Sector Strategy (OESS) impacting the people of the OECS to agree to joint mitigation approaches.
- Agree to strategies and policies related to advancing education initiatives associated with the ongoing implementation of the OESS.
- Secure the support and collaboration of regional agencies and development partners in advancing education in the OECS.
- Share innovative ideas and successful practices that have contributed to educational development at the national and regional levels.
A leading outcome of the COM: Edu meeting was the positive reception to the presentation of the OECS Digital Learning Ecosystem, which is currently under development, and the key innovations in curriculum and assessment within the OECS which will enhance learning outcomes. Ministers endorsed the call for increased investment and the mobilisation of additional resources to support both initiatives. The Council of Ministers expressed concern about the state of learning in the region and the OECS. The Council recommended deeper analysis and synthesis of student performance in the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.
