Governor General’s Deputy Sir Eustace Francis;
The Very Reverend Dean Rudolph Smithen;
Other Members of the Clergy;
Members of the Cabinet;
Members of the Diplomatic Corps;
Members of Parliament;
…………………………… and staff members of the OECS
Brothers and Sisters:

Today we gather to give God thanks for the many blessings he has bestowed on us as members of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States and to ask for his guidance as we enter a new chapter of regional integration.

The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States was fashioned twenty five years ago out of a realization that ultimately the survival of small states like Antigua and Barbuda in the Caribbean depend critically on these states working together towards the common objective of socio-economic development.

That was the mission then in Basseterre on June 18, 1981 and it remains the mission of the OECS as we prepare to sign the New OECS Treaty.

Throughout the OECS today, the 25th Anniversary celebrations are commencing with worship services. Foremost is to give God praise and thanks, but a significant aspect of these services is to highlight the importance that you as members of the regional grouping play in ensuring that the various challenges facing the Caribbean and more so small developing states are addressed with maximum input from those who are affected.

The New OECS Treaty that will be signed by Heads at our meeting this week in St. Kitts and Nevis is a very important document. It lays out the OECS integration agenda which is termed as the OECS Economic Union.

Upon signing of this document, it will be circulated to the people of the OECS for comment and recommendations on changes. The expected product from this process will be a document that has the support of all stakeholders in the OECS community.

This support is very critical, as contained in the draft document is the proposed agenda on how the OECS should move forward in the integration process. The Economic Union is also necessary for the OECS as we seek to enter the wider CARICOM Single Market and Economy.

Brothers and Sisters:

The OECS has faced many challenges over the past twenty five years. As we enter a new era we are faced with many more challenges internationally, regionally and at the domestic level.

Globilisation and liberalization which has changed the rules of the game and removed barriers to trade in goods and services and the movement of capital; coupled with a more wide-ranging and unpredictable international financial system with a focus in the distribution of capital to the

developed countries and a small number of promising market countries are all worrying trends for our region.

On the regional level, although the OECS is committed to entering the CSME as a grouping which we believe will better position us for marked benefits; the CSME and its capacity to facilitate our development and allow us to participate effectively in both the regional and international economies is still of concern.

Domestically, the mismatch between the demands of the electorate and the physical resource base and the increasingly difficult social issues of crime, social alienation particularly among young males and HIV/AIDS are also components that make our moving forward more challenging.

However, brothers and sisters, working together and building on the firm foundation laid by the successes of the OECS and with the help of you the members of the Church and business community, the challenges ahead can be surmounted.

One issue of concern to each member state of the region are the problems facing our young people. It has moved from a stage of "your neighbour's house is on fire" to a state where "The House is On Fire."

All across the region, anti-social behaviour among our young people have become a challenging issue.

Our young people are the custodians of our society and the trustees of prosperity for future generations. Two thirds of the region's population is below the age of thirty. The present challenges facing our youth if not addressed present a dark future for us.

The youth of our nations can play important roles in our development if provided with the right tools, the learning and empowerment to employ those tools and a supportive environment in which to use them.

I am sure that you will agree with me that our young people can and should lead the way in economic growth and addressing some of the regions challenges.

As members of the Church and Business community, working in partnership with government, we can ensure that the energies our young people are positively utilized to maintain social and economic stability.

You might disagree with my next statement, but I firmly believe that for most part, youth are not the problem but a product of their micro and macro environments. They normally react to the situation in which they find themselves. However I will hasten to say that there is a minority that delights in anti-social behaviour.

Whatever the circumstance, we all must realize that our youth are in danger and factors such as Family, schools, poverty reduction and gender issues are vital in determining the outcomes of our region's youth.

Brothers and sisters:

The Family is the strongest protective feature and the strongest risk factor for youth behaviour and outcomes.

A World Bank Study of the region recently concluded that Family is protective in that its connectedness, appropriate levels of parental discipline, moral guidance, protection from dangers in the adult world, and economic support allow young people to acquire personal and social skills while young.

On the flip side, parental displays of negative behaviours such as substance abuse, violence; physical, sexual and emotional abuse by family members; and the absence of parental guidance and support are risk factors.

Of significance is the role of fathers. Across the region, many of our children are born out of wedlock which in most cases translates into fathers being absent from the lives of their children.

Men's inability or by choice to provide economic support also means that women often raise children on their own, which in most cases result in greater levels of poverty and vulnerability among these women and their children.

My government has commenced putting in place programmes to arrest the decline in the youthful fabric of our society.

I speak of the Probation Programme implemented by the Ministry of Social Transformation which is being utalised successfully by the courts; and the Ministry of Education's move to reform the disciplinary component of the school system whereby suspension is no longer a holiday from school for students but an opportunity to facilitate behavoural changes.

Today, I not only issue a call on you as members of the Church and business community to join forces with us; but today, Fathers Day, I call on fathers to play more significant roles in the formation and development of your children. Now is the time to step forward and fulfill your roles.

Let us all pledge to build on the solid foundations that the OECS union has laid for us.

As I prepare to assume the Chairmanship of this important regional grouping this week, I look forward to your support and prayers as we work to reap the rewards of an Economic Union, which is the vision for our survival in a globalized world.

May God bless the countries and peoples of the OECS.

May God Bless us all.

Thank You very much.