The OECS Commission, in partnership with the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB/the Bank), marked the conclusion of the updated Enhanced Country Poverty Assessment (eCPA) Project during a regional conference held from August 5 to 6, 2025.

The two-year second phase of the eCPA Project fulfilled the provisions of the OECS’ Revised Treaty of Basseterre, which created an economic union that facilitates social cohesion and economic development and builds resilience. Participating countries spanned all nine English-speaking OECS Member States: Antigua and Barbuda, Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands.

Emphasising the value and impact of the project to countries, speaking on behalf of Honourable Phillip J. Pierre, Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Honourable Wayne Girard, Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Youth Economy, observed that.


“Data is not just an academic exercise but a tool. Our response should be dynamic.”


The project underscores the OECS Commission’s dedication to comprehensively understanding and addressing the complex dimensions of poverty within the OECS. It does so by addressing poverty in an informed and targeted way through the collection of critical data and by using that evidence to develop, guide and shape impactful interventions