OECS Press Release
The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission, in collaboration with the World Bank and the European Union (EU), successfully convened a high-level policy and strategy workshop on Port Reform, Digitalisation, and Customs Cooperation from 28 to 30 April 2026.
Held at the Bay Garden Hotel in Saint Lucia, the three-day milestone event brought together regional ministers and permanent secretaries responsible for ports, port and customs senior officials, key regional stakeholders in the maritime transport and logistics ecosystem and international experts to catalyse a reform agenda for the modernisation of maritime gateways across the Eastern Caribbean, including enhancing customs and port cooperation in the process.
The workshop served as a critical pillar in the preparation of a Caribbean Connectivity & Logistics Regional Programme, supported by the World Bank and in the definition of EU support for the maritime sector under the Global Gateway strategy.
During the opening ceremony, the Hon. Shawn Edwards, Minister for Infrastructure, Port Services and Energy, emphasised the existential nature of these reforms. He described ports as lifelines for small island developing states.
“We face high freight costs, limited shipping options, and infrastructural challenges, even as global shipping trends move towards larger vessels and increased consolidation. These realities make it clear: reform, digitalisation, and cooperation are no longer optional. They are essential for our long-term economic growth and resilience,”
Minister Edwards asserted, citing the need for ports to evolve alongside the demands of an ever-changing global economy.
In his opening remark, Mr Darwin Telemaque, Chairman of the Port Management Association of the Caribbean (PMAC), issued a call to action to move beyond historical talk shops.
“The region is craving critical regulatory reform,” Mr Telemaque stated, noting that many ports remain burdened by structures inherited from the 1950s and 60s. “It is time to free the private sector and the citizens from the shackles that have burdened them at our ports”.
Alexander Agosti, World Bank Country Representative for Eastern Caribbean Countries, underscored that port performance is a strategic priority that deserves sustained political commitment. He noted that inefficient ports raise the cost of doing business and constrain opportunities for the Caribbean people. Agosti reaffirmed the Bank’s commitment to building the regional consensus and capacity needed to translate reform intentions into real, lasting change.
Highlighting the importance of international cooperation, EU Ambassador designate Fiona Ramsey announced the mobilisation of funds under the Global Gateway Strategy to support maritime transport modernisation.
“We live on a blue planet, so it’s really not surprising that 80% of our international trade by volume is transported by sea. That rises to 90% in the Caribbean when we just look at trade within the region,”
Ambassador Ramsey remarked, adding that deeper regional integration is essential to avoid the duplication of costly infrastructure and to create gateways to prosperity for farmers and entrepreneurs alike.
Ricardo James, Head of Trade Policy Development at the OECS Commission, concluded the session by highlighting the need to fully operationalise existing regional frameworks such as the OECS and CARICOM. He noted that the Revised Treaties of Basseterre and Chaguaramas provide the mandate for joint actions in the transport sector.
“The frameworks that we have in place need to be activated, need to be reactivated, we need to use them to take the actions that we need to set an agenda and a work programme for addressing the issues we have in transport,” Mr James noted.
Over the three days, participants engaged in open and frank roundtable discussions on the imperatives, challenges and opportunities for port reform, port digitalisation, and customs and port cooperation in the region. Senior Officials from various ports and customs in the region shared their experiences on port digitalisation and on enhancing port and customs cooperation. Participants also benefited from presentations from the World Bank, the International Maritime Organisation and the European Union on studies and technical assistance being provided to assist Member States.
During the discussions, participants recognised the need to accelerate policy, legislative, regulatory and institutional reforms to govern the maritime transport sector and foster needed investments to enhance port performance and efficiency and to improve connectivity and logistics within the region. The critical role of the interface between customs and port operations was also recognised with calls to update the legislative and regulatory frameworks, assessing and re-engineering business processes for enhanced cooperation, and to move towards digital and data-driven processes and systems.
The workshop concluded with a strong recognition of the need to accelerate concrete, implementable reforms that strengthen port governance, unlock sustainable financing, and advance digital transformation across the Caribbean. Participants also underscored the central role of port institutional reform and digitalisation as enablers of efficiency, transparency, and resilience. Finally, the workshop highlighted significant opportunities for regional coordination among OECS and wider CARICOM Member States.