CASTRIES, St Lucia (CMC) -The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Monday kicked off its 45th anniversary celebrations, saying that the event marks a significant milestone in the journey of collective resilience that has defined the organisation since the signing of the Treaty of Basseterre in 1981.

The OECS was established on June 18, 1981, when seven Eastern Caribbean countries – Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Montserrat signed the original Treaty of Basseterre in Basseterre.

The celebrations will be held under the theme “One Vision, One Voice: Navigating Challenges, Shaping Our Future” with the St Lucia-based OECS Commission saying the anniversary serves as a reminder that within a “perpetually changing global environment marked by economic uncertainty, climate vulnerability, and geopolitical shifts, OECS citizens must work together in shaping a future defined by innovation and sustainability through community”.