Order of the Caribbean Community (OCC)
The Order of the Caribbean Community is an award given to “Caribbean nationals whose legacy in the economic, political, social and cultural metamorphoses of Caribbean society is phenomenal”
The award was initiated at the Eighth (8th) Conference of Heads of State and Governments of CARICOM in 1987 and began bestowal in 1992.
Decisions as to award are taken by the Advisory Committee for the Order of the Caribbean Community
The Insignia of the O.C.C. set in gold and the Ribbon of the Order are presented to those honoured.
Privileges and entitlements
There are some privileges and entitlements invested upon the recipients. Some of these are as follows:
The award confers the styling The Honourable upon the recipient and Post-nominals O.C.C.
Members of the Order are accorded the privilege of free movement among Member States of the Community and are issued with a travel document which is assigned similar status to a diplomatic passport.
The right to reside in and be gainfully employed in any Member State, as well as the right to acquire and dispose of property, as would citizens of Member States, are entitlements granted to Members of the Order.
-
Roderick Rainford
Mr. Roderick Rainford, a national of Jamaica, was Secretary-General from 1983 to1992. He served as Deputy Secretary-General to Secretary-General Dr. Kurleigh King prior to acceding to the position of Secretary-General. A firm believer in teamwork and collective leadership, he therefore assumed the position with what he described as a “good sense from the inside, of the problems and challenges facing…
Read More » -
-
Sir Vivian Richards
CITATION IN HONOUR OF SIR ISAAC VIVIAN ALEXANDER RICHARDS ON THE AWARD OF THE Order of the Caribbean Community (OCC) – Conference of Heads of Government, Suriname, 4-5 July 2022. Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards is a national of Antigua and Barbuda. He was born on March 7 1952 and raised in Ovals. He comes from a working class community…
Read More » -
Dame Billie Miller
CITATION FOR THE AWARD Of THE ORDER OF THE CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY (OCC) TO DAME BILLIE MILLER D.A., BCH, LL.D (Hon), AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY A Life Dedicated to Service Introduction Today we have the pleasure of honouring one of the most distinguished daughters of the Caribbean, Dame Billie Miller of Barbados, who has lived a life of dedicated service to…
Read More » -
David Rudder
CITATION FOR THE AWARD OF THEORDER OF THE CARIBBEAN COMMUNITY (OCC) TOMr. David Michael Rudder D. Litt. (Honoris Causa) Can you hear a distant drum,Bouncing on the laughter, of a melody?And does the rhythm tell you come come come,Does your spirt do a dance,To this symphony? Calypso Music,David Michael Rudder Dr. Gordon Rohlehr, respected academic, researcher and writer on calypso…
Read More » -
Ambassador Irwin LaRocque
Citation for Ambassador Irwin LaRocque Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, is best described as a regionalist who dedicated his time and effort towards realizing the regional integration agenda set by CARICOM Heads of Government. In doing so he has served as Assistant Secretary General at the CARICOM Secretariat and the seventh Secretary General of our Community. Ambassador LaRocque was born in the…
Read More » -
DAME Mary Eugenia Charles
15 May 1919 – Dame Mary Eugenia Charles has the distinction of being the first female lawyer in her native land of Dominica and the first female to be elected Prime Minister in the Caribbean. Her entry into the political arena came in 1968 owing to the attempt of the Dominica Labour Party (DLP) to have a Sedition Act passed.…
Read More » -
Dame Ruth Nita Barrow
In any consideration of exceptional women of the Caribbean, the name Dame Nita Barrow, second recipient of the CARICOM Triennial Award, assumes much significance. A distinguished and highly celebrated Caribbean citizen, the late Dame Ruth Nita Barrow gave extraordinary service to Barbados, her country of birth, and the region as a whole and is revered as one of the outstanding…
Read More » -
Dr. Slinger Francisco (The Mighty Sparrow)
“Celebrant, chantwell, warrior, prophet, satirist, and purveyor of joy, delight and elation: raconteur of the folk tales of our daily grass-rooted life.” The OCC Awardee to whom such adultations belong is the Caribbean’s most celebrated and renowned entertainer, social commentator and ambassador extraordinaire, Dr. Slinger Francisco, whom the world knows as “The Mighty Sparrow”. His cross-national Caribbean identity is born…
Read More » -
Dr. William Gilbert Demas
The late Dr. William Gilbert Demas, son of Trinidad and Tobago, and former Secretary-General of CARICOM, was among those honoured in the first conferment of the OCC at the 13th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM in 1992. Dr. Demas’ career spawned tenures as Secretary-General of CARICOM and President of the Caribbean Development Bank, Chancellor of…
Read More »