Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, the Hon. Gaston Browne, has voiced strong concerns regarding the treatment of Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) members within the broader Caribbean Community (CARICOM), warning that the sub-regional group is being subjected to what he described as “benign neglect.”
Speaking on the first full day of deliberations at the 49th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, Prime Minister Browne raised the issue during the plenary session under the agenda item concerning the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME).
“We ought not to be treated with benign neglect, in the same way the international community treats us,” Prime Minister Browne stated, highlighting long-standing grievances from OECS member states about disparities within CARICOM’s integration framework.
The CSME, which facilitates the free movement of goods, skills, labour, and services across the region, has recently come under scrutiny. In addition to Prime Minister Browne, both St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves and St. Lucia’s Opposition Leader Allen Chastanet have also raised concerns over the inequitable treatment of OECS countries within the regional bloc.
Dr. Gonsalves reiterated his disappointment during Monday’s session, stating that despite being sovereign, full members of CARICOM, OECS nations have yet to see the benefits promised under Chapter 7 of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, which speaks to disadvantaged countries, regions, and sectors.
“That hasn’t happened,” he said plainly.
Echoing that sentiment, Prime Minister Browne emphasized that the OECS continues to be a committed partner in regional integration but has not been treated fairly.
“We do not wish to be the absolute losers in CARICOM,” Browne said. “There must be compensatory mechanisms to ensure that OECS states benefit meaningfully from integration and the Revised Treaty.”
He further noted that repeated advocacy on this matter has been largely ignored over the years.
“The time has come for this issue to be addressed seriously, rather than continually overlooked,” he asserted.
Among the key concerns raised was the failure to fully implement the Owen Arthur Study, which exposed structural imbalances and the unequal distribution of benefits within the CSME. Prime Minister Gonsalves specifically criticized the current tariff structure, which he argued disproportionately favours larger economies like Trinidad and Tobago, allowing them to dominate regional manufacturing, while leaving OECS states heavily dependent on imports.
Both Prime Ministers also expressed frustration at the failure of some larger CARICOM member states to meet their financial obligations to the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF), a mechanism intended to assist less developed countries within the community.
In closing, Prime Minister Browne lent his full support to Prime Minister Gonsalves’ remarks, particularly regarding the long-standing CLICO/BAICO matter, and called for a formal meeting between the OECS and Trinidad and Tobago to address the unresolved issues. The collapse of CLICO and BAICO (British American Insurance Company) in 2009 caused significant financial disruption across OECS territories, triggering prolonged economic and legal challenges.
