Seven Eastern Caribbean governments signed the Treaty of Basseterre in Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis, creating the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to formalize cooperation and integration efforts among the small island states.
The British Virgin Islands became the first Associate Member of the OECS, expanding participation beyond the seven founding full members and widening the organization’s reach across the Leeward Islands.
Anguilla acceded to OECS associate membership, further strengthening subregional coordination among the Eastern Caribbean territories and states.
OECS leaders decided to deepen regional integration by moving toward an economic union—an agenda that later culminated in the Revised Treaty of Basseterre and new governance arrangements.
OECS member states signed the Revised Treaty of Basseterre in Saint Lucia, setting out the legal framework for the OECS Economic Union and strengthened institutional structures for integration.
The Revised Treaty of Basseterre came into force, operationalizing the OECS Economic Union and enabling a more integrated policy approach across areas such as trade and social development.
Full free movement for OECS citizens began across the six independent OECS countries (as documented in OECS administrative guidance), allowing eligible nationals to enter and remain for an indefinite period to work, provide services, establish businesses, or reside within the Economic Union area.
Martinique held an accession ceremony and signed documentation initiating its entry as an OECS Associate Member—marking a major step in integrating Francophone French territories into OECS cooperation frameworks.
Guadeloupe joined the OECS as an Associate Member following a decision at a special meeting of the OECS Authority held on the island, further expanding OECS integration to additional French territories in the Eastern Caribbean.
The OECS Commission and its Pharmaceutical Procurement Service (PPS) held emergency supply-chain preparedness training (with USAID GHSC-PSM support) to strengthen regional readiness for infectious disease outbreaks, highlighting functional integration through pooled procurement systems.
The OECS described itself as a twelve-member grouping of full and associate members across the Eastern Caribbean archipelago, reflecting the organization’s expanded geographic and linguistic scope (English and French).
At the 76th Meeting of the OECS Authority, Saint Martin held an accession ceremony and advanced to associate membership status, becoming the OECS’s 12th member state/territory and deepening OECS engagement with French overseas territories.
Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) development and integration (1981–present)
