Former Member of the Antigua and Barbuda Parliament, Samantha Marshall, has been elected to the post of Deputy Speaker of the OECS Assembly, which concluded its 7th meeting in St. Vincent and the Grenadines on Tuesday.
Marshall’s election was one of the activities of the Assembly.
Held under the theme, “Strengthening Regional Unity in a Shifting Global Order”, Antigua and Barbuda was represented by a delegation comprised of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, E.P. Chet Greene, and Leader of the Opposition, Jamale Pringle.
The Assembly received a presentation from the guest speaker, Director General of the World Trade Organization, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Dr. Okonjo-Iweala praised the active role of the OECS at the WTO in highlighting issues pertinent to the Region. The Director General also urged the OECS to continue to be a leading voice in the organization.
Minister Greene delivered closing remarks on behalf of the Assembly after the presentation of Dr. Okonjo-Iweala. The Foreign Minister commended the choice of guest speaker for the sitting of the Assembly which he mentioned was timely during these tumultuous times within the multilateral trading system.
The Foreign Minister also commented on the present geopolitical tensions that have extended to OECS Member States, directly impacting the economies and wider society. He further stated that “the forces shaping today’s world have no patience for small island developing states (SIDS)”. Mentioning that the vulnerabilities of the OECS are not acknowledged, with the situation not eliciting any special consideration.
The Foreign Minister while reminding the Assembly of Antigua and Barbuda’s long standing challenges at the WTO, called for further reform of the WTO dispute-settlement system that would be more fit for purpose in the modern world. Moreover, Minister Greene called for the furthering of integration of the Eastern Caribbean Economic Union and the strengthening of strategic engagement to rebuild the multilateral trading system in the interest of all Member States.
The OECS Assembly saw the reading of five (5) bills which were the Animal Health Bill; the Plant Health Bill; the Food Safety Bill; the Standards Bill; and the Customs Control and Management Bill.
