08/07/2026
𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐒𝐭 𝐕𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟑𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐎𝐜𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐦!
On June 26th 2026, the Honorable Conroy Huggins, Minister of Fisheries, Marine and Land Conservation, and Climate Resilience, signed the Ocean Coordination Mechanism Memorandum of Understanding.
Upon signing, Mr Huggins noted-“Saint Vincent and the Grenadines fully recognize the importance of the Ocean Coordination Mechanism, not only as a framework for strengthening regional cooperation on ocean-related matters, but also as an essential platform for addressing the transboundary Nature of Marine Ecosystems and the interconnected challenges posed by climate change, marine pollution, Biodiversity loss and Illegal Unreported and Unregulated FIshing. These are challenges that no single country can effectively address in isolation.”
𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐎𝐂𝐌 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫?
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is an archipelagic nation that is emblematic of a large ocean state with a maritime territory 30 times larger than its landmass, comprising the main island of Saint Vincent and a chain of over 30 smaller islands and islets known as the Grenadines. Fisheries, shipping and maritime tourism are all essential parts of the economy of the country and the Blue Economy is a key pillar of the government's national development strategy.
Being on the frontlines of the climate crisis, the Islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines were devastated by Hurricane Beryl in 2024, which destroyed up to 90% of the infrastructure on the southern islands, temporarily paralyzing the local economy. In response, the government has committed to aggressive climate-proofing, modernizing the islands by rebuilding fisheries complexes with Category 5 hurricane-proof engineering and solar-powered cold storage that keeps the catch fresh even during grid failures.
Our echo has made some waves! We are now 23 nations and 9 organizations. We thank those who have committed themselves under the slogan of 'united in action,' and invite the remaining eligible countries and organizations, so we can continue working toward a resilient Wider Caribbean.
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Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States
