Trading SystemsAcronyms

• Author: Edwin Laurent
• Pages: 1-10

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Trading Systems

Economic Integration in the Caribbean

The Organization of the Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)

Inter-island cooperation and eventual integration among the countries of

the Eastern Caribbean subregion are both necessary and inevitable.

Geographic proximity and the small size of the islands forming the

organization1, make a compelling case for economic and institutional

integration. Such collaboration has allowed the sub-region to promote

efficiency and optimize the benefits of scarce human, institutional and other

resources. This no doubt is the major reason why historically, these

neighbouring islands have shared institutions2. The 1932 Closer Union

Commission appointed by the British Government, proposed a Federation of

all the Leeward and Windward Islands. This did not materialize but in 1938,

the Moyne Commission repeated this suggestion. Not surprisingly, however,

no progress was made during the period of the Second World War that started

in the following year.

The Leeward and Windward Islands have always had a strong desire for

cooperation both among themselves and within the wider Caribbean grouping.

They all joined the 1967 Caribbean Free Trade Area (CARIFTA) but even

before that, had set out to pursue closer coordination and integration among

themselves. In the previous year, 1966, they created the West Indies Associated

States Council of Ministers (WISA) to administer various common services.

It met at the level of Heads of Government and had a small secretariat. Then

one year after the birth of WISA, the Heads decided on a more ambitious

TRADING SYSTEMS

The Bilateral/Bi-Regional vs. The

Multilateral Approach; OECS/

CARICOM/CSME; ACP/EU and

FTAA; The WTO

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