Antigua and Barbuda minister calls for closer OECS foreign policy approach

Antigua and Barbuda’s minister of foreign affairs has urged the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) to prioritise a “harmonisation” of foreign policy.

Charles “Max” Fernandez made the call at the third meeting of the OECS Council of Ministers in Bridgetown, Barbados, last week.

Fernandez also assumed the annual rotating chairmanship of the OECS Council on behalf of Antigua and Barbuda.

“Despite the achievements made thus far, we are acutely aware that there are aspects of the OECS integration movement that have not yet been fully exploited. One of these aspects is foreign policy harmonisation, which is not just critical, but necessary to navigate the turbulent waters of the 21st century,” Fernandez said.

Calling attention to the unique plight of SIDS (small island developing states), the minister highlighted that “each of us stands alone” in the absence of coordination.

“In multilateral fora, such as the United Nations General Assembly, all member states have equal voting rights,” he added.

“However, while the global playing field may be getting more level, it is still incredibly uneven.”

“At the end of the day, we cannot afford to be complacent. As small island developing states, we need the world more than the world needs us. The ability to coordinate positions as a grouping rather than on an individual basis would amplify our voices six-fold, thus allowing us to more easily achieve more positive outcomes.”

During the meeting, the OECS Foreign Ministers exchanged views on several international relations issues.

The third meeting of the OECS Council of the Ministers (Foreign Affairs) precedes a meeting of the Council for Foreign and Community Relations, which will be attended by foreign ministers from across the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) region.