OECS and CARICOM Pay Tribute to St. Lucian Diplomat Elma Gene Isaac

CASTRIES, St. Lucia - The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the sub-regional Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) have paid tribute to the St. Lucian diplomat, Elma Gene Isaac, who died earlier this week.

Ambassador Elma Gene IsaacIsaac served as St. Lucia’s ambassador to CARICOM and the OECS, with the OECS Commission describing her as an “ experienced diplomat,” who was not merely a participant in the regional integration movement, but “one of its quiet architects.

“In her deliberate, forensic way, she helped steady the course of the OECS during critical years of its evolution. From 2008 when she joined the Regional Integration Unit as consultant, to her appointment as its Head in 2011, and subsequently as St. Lucia’s Commissioner to the OECS from 2017 to 2025, she remained a constant presence at the main tables of discussion and design of the OECS direction”.

“She was a diplomat who understood that building a regional community was not only about treaties and protocols, but about relationships, structure, and the dignity of service. She brought logic to complexity and clarity to our collective aspirations. She carried not only the portfolio of her office with unflagging zeal.

“Her impact went beyond official titles. Her knowledge of the intricacies of policy stimulated deep debate on the options best suited to situations. She taught us that patience is a form of strength, that diplomacy is built on the clarity that is brought to its complexity,” the OECS Commission said.

In its tribute, the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat said Isaac served the region “with purpose and great distinction” including also as a “valued member of the CARICOM Committee of Ambassadors”.

It said that her tenure as senior legal officer at the Secretariat, both in Georgetown and in Barbados, advanced important regional matters such as Competition Policy and Law, Consumer Protection, and Right of Establishment.

”She was known for her excellent administrative skills, her insightful and measured advice, and her dedicated attention to the priorities of her government and the wider CARICOM region. The Community has lost a brilliant mind and a cherished colleague, whose impact is indelible,” it added.

Isaac, 61, died on Wednesday and Prime Minister Phillip J Pierre said she served St. Lucia with distinction.

“She was a seasoned public servant and respected diplomat, who carried out her duties with quiet strength and focus. Her voice and presence were felt throughout the region, where she represented Saint Lucia with clarity, credibility, and resolve,”  he added.