Culture in Ouagadougou recently took on a special international dimension. From February 28 to March 3, 2026, the capital of Burkina Faso hosted Roots and Future 2026a meeting dedicated to the development of cultural and creative industries and cooperation between Africa and its diaspora. Conceived as a forum for dialogue and structuring of the cultural sector, the event brought together artists, entrepreneurs, institutions and players in the creative economy around a single ambition: to strengthen bridges between African territories and diasporic communities, particularly in the Caribbean.
For many observers, Roots and Future 2026 marks a milestone in the construction of an international cultural network where artistic and entrepreneurial exchanges become a lever for development.
A vision: linking Africa and its cultural diasporas
Under the theme “Authentic Africa and the Africa of the Diasporas”, the first edition of Roots and Future 2026 is part of a global movement to promote black cultural identities and strengthen cooperation between territories historically linked by the African diaspora. With this in mind, the event offered several formats for professional meetings: masterclasses, strategy sessions, discussions between cultural entrepreneurs and moments of exchange between artists.
These initiatives addressed key issues for the sector: financing of cultural projects, circulation of works, professionalization of players and development of new markets for African artists. Beyond the discussions, Roots and Future 2026 was distinguished above all by its willingness to create concrete collaborations between the various participants.
A strong Caribbean presence
One of the most significant aspects of Roots and Future 2026 was the participation of personalities from the Caribbean, illustrating the growing importance of cultural exchanges between these two areas.
Guests included entrepreneur Davon Carty as well as Victor E. Lewis, CEO of Caribbean One Media Group and Director of the Creative Campus Eco Institute (CCEI). Through the CCEI Victor E. Lewis develops training and coaching initiatives for talent in the creative industries, sports and environmental sectors. His work aims to open up new professional perspectives for young artists and cultural entrepreneurs.
His presence at Roots and Future 2026 provided an opportunity to share the Caribbean’s experience in the creative economy, a field in which the region has recognized expertise, notably in music, events and cultural festivals. These exchanges also served as a reminder of the extent to which the cultural trajectories of Africa and the Caribbean remain deeply intertwined.
Ouagadougou, fertile ground for the cultural economy
Even before the official opening of Roots and Future 2026, a strategy meeting was organized at the Centre culturel Gambidi, an emblematic venue on the Burkinabe art scene. The meeting brought together a number of international players as well as Claude Guingané, General Manager of the center and representative of the IKAM Burkina Faso focal point.
Discussions focused on consolidating the partnership established in 2019 between IKAM and the Maison des industries culturelles et créatives de Ouagadougou (MICCO). One of the projects discussed was the creation of an entrepreneurial hub dedicated to the cultural industries, designed to support artists and project leaders in developing their initiatives. Such a structure could play an essential role in structuring Burkina Faso’s cultural sector and opening it up to international networks.
Action-oriented business meetings
Highlights of Roots and Future 2026 include A media workshop at the Hotel Pacific brought together a number of professionals from the cultural sector for B2B meetings. These exchanges gave participants the opportunity to present their artistic projects, identify potential partners and explore new avenues of cooperation.
Discussions focused on the circulation of artists between Africa and the Caribbean, the co-production of cultural events and the development of transatlantic media projects. For many of the players present, these meetings represent a first step towards the creation of lasting collaborations.
Momentum set to continue
The first edition of Roots and Future 2026 ended on an encouraging note. By bringing together decision-makers, cultural entrepreneurs and artists around a common vision, the event laid the foundations for more structured international cooperation in the cultural field. In a context where the creative industries represent an important economic lever, the initiative also opens up prospects for the circulation of talent and the development of new cultural projects.
For the Caribbean, these exchanges represent an opportunity to strengthen historic ties with the African continent, while helping to build a more connected diasporic cultural space. With this first edition, Roots and Future 2026 positions Ouagadougou as a strategic meeting point between Africa and the world’s creative diasporas.
Roots and Future 2026 is an international event dedicated to the development of the cultural and creative industries, held in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.
The event aims to strengthen cooperation between Africa and its diaspora, particularly in the Caribbean, and to support the structuring of the cultural sector.
International guests included entrepreneur Davon Carty and Victor E. Lewis, CEO of Caribbean One Media Group and Director of the Creative Campus Eco Institute.
At first glance, a summit on air connectivity seems to be a strictly technical affair: routes, capacity, infrastructure, growth strategies. However, in Bermuda, the CTO Air Connectivity Summit demonstrated that an event dedicated to aviation can also become a genuine cultural and tourist showcase. In the island territories of the wider region, mobility is never just economic. It is profoundly human, based on identity and culture.
Connecting territories, bringing cultures closer together
Discussions at the CTO Air Connectivity Summit focused on the challenges of intra-regional connectivity and the need to strengthen links within the region. But behind these technical issues lies a broader reality: better connecting the region also means facilitating the flow of ideas, artists, entrepreneurs, talent and visitors.
Air connectivity thus becomes an indirect lever for boosting culture and tourism. It is a prerequisite for :
- – the development of multi-destination tourism
- – organizing regional events
- – mobility for young people and creators
- – international visibility of island heritages
In a region rich in tradition and creativity, each new air route is also a bridge between identities.
An opening rooted in Bermudian identity
The CTO Air Connectivity Summit opened with the playing of the national anthem, a solemn moment affirming the institutional anchorage of the host territory.
Between several panels, a youth choir took part, offering an interlude marked by commitment and transmission. In a summit devoted to the future of regional connectivity, the presence of young people was not insignificant: it was a reminder that economic development is part of the continuity of generations.
The closing ceremony of the CTO Air Connectivity Summit featured a traditional performance by the Gombeys. This is an emblematic expression of Bermudian heritage. This tradition combines percussive music, rhythmic dance and distinctive costumes adorned with bangs, feathers and colorful masks. Inherited from African and British influences, it embodies a strong cultural identity.
These moments transformed a strategic summit into a territorial experience.
Culture and attractiveness: a natural alliance
In a context of increasing global tourism competition, destinations can no longer limit themselves to promoting their landscapes. They must assert their uniqueness.
In Bermuda, culture is an active part of the experience. It’s expressed in music, traditions, youthfulness – and even dress codes.
The famous Bermuda shorts are a recognized form of professional attire in the archipelago. Worn with jacket and tie in institutional and business environments, they illustrate an elegant adaptation to the island’s climate while asserting a distinctive identity. Tradition and modernity coexist naturally, including in diplomatic and business environments.
This coherence between culture, protocol and the economic environment plays a key role in the region’s positioning as a tourist destination.
A growing regional dynamic
Beyond the technical discussions, the CTO Air Connectivity Summit highlighted an essential reality: connectivity is a strategic tool, but it is also a vector of cultural influence. In the Caribbean region, air development cannot be dissociated from the identity of the territories it serves.
Linking destinations also means :
- – strengthening cultural exchanges
- – enhancing local heritage
- – boosting tourist appeal
- – building a more integrated regional vision
In Bermuda, the balance between economic strategy and cultural affirmation offered an inspiring example.
The CTO Air Connectivity Summit didn’t just talk about air routes and infrastructure. It showed that an economic event can become a space for cultural representation, where a territory welcomes visitors, asserts its identity and projects its image. In a region where tourism and culture are intimately linked, connectivity is more than just passenger flows. It becomes a bridge between territories, generations and imaginations, and this is perhaps where its true richness lies.
The CTO Air Connectivity Summit is a regional summit organized by the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), dedicated to air connectivity issues, route development strategies and cooperation between island territories.
The CTO Air Connectivity Summit aims to strengthen intra-regional connectivity, support multi-destination tourism and facilitate economic, cultural and institutional exchanges between island territories.
In Bermuda, the CTO Air Connectivity Summit incorporated strong cultural elements, including a performance by the Gombeys and the participation of a youth choir, illustrating the link between connectivity, territorial identity and tourist appeal.
TeMeUm 2026 marks a new stage in the policy of supporting local biodiversity initiatives in the French overseas territories. Launched by the French Office for Biodiversity (OFB), this annual campaign aims to finance micro-projects undertaken by associations, small communities and managers of natural areas who are active in the field.
At a time when island ecosystems are under heavy pressure from urbanization, climate change, pollution and biodiversity erosion, this program provides financial and technical resources to transform local initiatives into concrete, measurable actions. Project leaders have until April 14, 2026 to submit their applications via a fully paperless procedure.
Since its creation in 2010, the program has supported more than 420 micro-projects in the French overseas territories, confirming its role as a structuring force in supporting local environmental dynamics.
Financing tailored to small structures
One of the major assets of TeMeUm 2026 lies in its accessibility. The program deliberately targets smaller structures, which often have difficulty accessing traditional financing. Grants awarded range from a few thousand euros to 20,000 euros and can cover up to 80% of the total budget.
Aid is paid out in a single instalment as soon as the project is launched, enabling project sponsors to get their initiatives off the ground quickly, without having to wait for lengthy administrative procedures. This approach responds to a well-known reality in the French overseas territories: local players have solid expertise, but often lack immediate financial resources.
In addition to financial support, the OFB provides technical and administrative assistance to secure the implementation of projects and promote their development on a regional scale.
Three complementary schemes to structure projects
The campaign TeMeUm 2026 campaign is built around three distinct systems, designed to meet a variety of needs.
Springboard: supporting immediate local action
The Tremplin scheme is the operational heart of the program. It supports micro-projects for the protection or restoration of biodiversity, from first experiments in ecological management to innovative pilot initiatives.
Each year, around thirty projects are co-financed for amounts of up to 15,000 euros. The actions supported cover a wide range of fields: species monitoring, restoration of natural habitats, raising public awareness, and experimentation with new ecological management methods.
Among the initiatives supported in 2025 are participatory monitoring of marine biodiversity in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon, a project to mobilize citizens around sustainable urban development in French Guiana, and the creation of a botanical trail in Polynesia to preserve endangered endemic flora.
Cooperation: strengthening technical skills
The Cooperation component aims to structure partnerships between biodiversity stakeholders in order to strengthen local technical capacities. With a grant of up to 20,000 euros. This scheme supports collaborative projects involving several organizations.
These cooperative ventures enable us to pool scientific expertise, improve ecological management methods and develop more coherent territorial strategies. In 2025, a wetland restoration project in Mayotte benefited from this funding following a cyclone that weakened local ecosystems.
Companionships: transmission and training in the field
The Compagnonnages program focuses on vocational training and the transmission of know-how. It enables teams from the French overseas departments and territories to spend short periods of time – one to two weeks – working within expert structures.
The OFB will cover travel, accommodation and catering expenses, up to a maximum of 5,000 euros. This format encourages direct technical exchanges and rapid skills transfers.
In 2025, environmental agents in the Indian Ocean were trained in techniques for capturing and studying chiropterans, while an international partnership studied the impact of microplastics on green turtle egg-laying sites and seabird nesting.
Simplified procedures and local support
The program TeMeUm 2026 is based on a clear commitment to administrative simplification. Applications are submitted entirely electronically via the Démarches Simplifiées platform, making it easier for organizations located far from major administrative centers to apply. Applications are examined by local juries made up of biodiversity stakeholders from each region. This organization guarantees an assessment adapted to the ecological and social realities of each overseas zone.
Support doesn’t stop at the selection stage. TeMeUm’s national teams and the OFB’s regional delegations follow project leaders through the entire process, from dossier preparation to operational implementation, evaluation and valorization of results.
A handbook detailing eligibility criteria and expected commitments is available to applicants. Two information webinars are also scheduled on March 23 and 25, 2026 to help structures prepare their bid.
A major challenge for the Caribbean and Indian Ocean territories
For the French overseas territories, biodiversity is both an exceptional natural heritage and a factor of economic, cultural and tourist resilience. The marine and terrestrial ecosystems of the Caribbean, French Guiana and the Indian Ocean play a central role in protecting against climate risks, ensuring food security and enhancing the attractiveness of these territories. Against this backdrop, TeMeUm 2026 represents a strategic opportunity for local players wishing to develop concrete projects, whether to restore natural habitats, protect endemic species or raise public awareness.
The program also contributes to structuring a network of committed players, encouraging the circulation of skills and the sharing of experience between overseas territories.
Local mobilization for sustainable biodiversity
By renewing its call for projects, the OFB confirms the importance of a territorial approach to biodiversity, based on the expertise of local players. TeMeUm 2026 is more than just a funding scheme: it’s part of a global strategy designed to strengthen the capacity for action of structures in the French overseas territories, and to support initiatives tailored to the ecological realities of each territory. Applications for the three schemes – Tremplin, Coopération and Compagnonnages – are open until April 14, 2026. Project sponsors can contact their local OFB delegation or the TeMeUm team directly for further information.
Through this new campaign, TeMeUm 2026 confirms that preserving biodiversity in the French overseas territories depends above all on the commitment of local players, who are capable of transforming targeted initiatives into sustainable solutions for their territories.
TeMeUm 2026 is a program run by the French Biodiversity Office to finance micro-projects to protect and restore biodiversity in the French overseas territories. It supports associations, local authorities and natural area managers working in the field.
Associations, small local authorities, public establishments and managers of natural areas in the French overseas territories are all eligible to apply. The program is designed to be accessible to small structures with concrete projects in favor of biodiversity.
Applications for the Tremplin, Coopération and Compagnonnages schemes are open until April 14, 2026. Applications must be submitted online via the Simplified Procedures platform of the French Biodiversity Office.
The integration of Richès Karayib into the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) marks a new stage in the development of Caribbean media. This membership formalizes Richès Karayib’s regional roots and reinforces its determination to actively contribute to the structuring of the Caribbean media landscape.
In a context where the circulation of content remains fragmented between linguistic and geographic territories, joining the Caribbean Broadcasting Union represents a strategic lever for boosting the visibility and circulation of Caribbean content.
The Caribbean Broadcasting Union, a pillar of the Caribbean media landscape
The Caribbean Broadcasting Union is the regional organization that federates the Caribbean media, covering radio, television, print and digital platforms. It plays a central role in cooperation between broadcasters, the circulation of content, the professionalization of players in the sector and the promotion of Caribbean productions.
Every year, the Caribbean Broadcasting Union organizes the CBU Media Awards. These awards recognize the most outstanding productions in radio, television, print and digital. These awards are a major event for Caribbean media professionals, helping to raise standards of journalistic and editorial quality in the region. By becoming a member of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union, Richès Karayib joins a structured and recognized network at the heart of regional media dynamics.
A strategic step for Richès Karayib
Since its creation, Richès Karayib has been promoting culture, heritage, tourism and the women and men who shape the Caribbean’s attractiveness and influence. Membership of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union consolidates this trajectory by opening up new prospects:
- – publishing cooperation on a regional scale
- – increased circulation of content
- – professional exchanges between member media
- – enhanced visibility with institutional and economic players
Joining the Caribbean Broadcasting Union also enables Richès Karayib to place its productions within a demanding regional framework, where content quality, journalistic rigor and editorial impact are decisive. This new step comes at a time when the medium is developing its print, digital and audiovisual formats, with a clear ambition: to connect Caribbean territories beyond linguistic borders.
Building a structured Caribbean media space
The Caribbean is rich in talent, culture and initiative. However, content produced in one territory is still not widely distributed to other islands and countries in the region. One of the major challenges of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union is precisely to promote this circulation and encourage regional collaboration.
By joining the Caribbean Broadcasting Union, Richès Karayib is affirming its desire to play an active part in this dynamic. This is not just institutional recognition, but a commitment: to contribute to a more connected, visible and structured Caribbean media.
This approach is in line with Richès Karayib’s mission to promote the region’s talents, initiatives and heritage, while encouraging synergies between regions.
Setting course for the CBU Media Awards
As part of this membership, Richès Karayib will take part in the 37th CBU Media Awards organized by the Caribbean Broadcasting Union. Richès Karayib’s participation is in line with the company’s commitment to professionalization and regional outreach.
Beyond the competition, the CBU Media Awards represent a space for Caribbean media to meet, exchange ideas and gain visibility. For RK, it’s a further opportunity to promote a committed editorial voice in the service of the Caribbean.
A new development phase
Joining the Caribbean Broadcasting Union marks a natural evolution for Richès Karayib. After consolidating its presence in the French-speaking Caribbean, the medium is now taking a decisive step towards wider regional integration.
In a changing media environment, where cooperation, editorial quality and international visibility are essential, joining the Caribbean Broadcasting Union is a strong signal.
Richès Karayib’s ambition is to contribute to a more visible, coherent and assertive Caribbean media.
The Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) is the regional media organization for the Caribbean, covering radio, television, print and digital platforms. It promotes cooperation, the circulation of content and the professionalization of players in the sector.
Membership of the Caribbean Broadcasting Union enables Richès Karayib to join a structured regional network, boost its visibility on a Caribbean scale and develop editorial collaborations with other member media.
The CBU Media Awards are an annual competition organized by the Caribbean Broadcasting Union to recognize the best radio, television, print and digital productions in the region.
Tourism pressure on Caribbean heritage sites is no longer a marginal or one-off phenomenon. In many areas, the steady rise in visitor numbers, the increased vulnerability of ecosystems and local economic expectations are testing management models that have reached saturation point.
It is not so much the principles of World Heritage that are at stake, but rather the ability of territories to manage them over the long term. It was against this backdrop that UNESCO brought together World Heritage site managers from Latin America and the Caribbean in Santo Domingo. It was a discreet meeting, but one that revealed a shift in thinking: world heritage is now seen as a governance issue, rather than a lever for attractiveness.
Why is UNESCO intervening now?
For several years now, UNESCO has been observing a rapid evolution in uses around listed sites. In the Caribbean, this dynamic is particularly noticeable. Tourist flows are growing faster than the capacity to regulate them, while climate change is accentuating the fragility of natural environments and urban structures. This pressure is compounded by a still largely economic interpretation of heritage, which is often mobilized as a vector of visibility before being thought of as a common good to be preserved.
UNESCO ‘s intervention is part of a process of clarification. The aim is not to call the label into question, but to point out that classification entails lasting responsibilities. The meeting organized in Santo Domingo, from November 24 to 26, 2025, brought together management authorities and experts from nine countries in the region. Organized with the Ministry of Culture and the municipality of the National District, the workshop was part of the “Communities for Heritage – Latin America and the Caribbean” program, funded by the Ministry of Culture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Discussions focused on very concrete issues such as planning, monitoring flows, site governance and the ability of territories to arbitrate between visitor numbers, conservation and local uses.
UNESCO's "new lines": what's really changing?
Behind the discussions, a number of basic lines emerge.
- – The first concerns the shift from a promotion approach to a management approach. The World Heritage is no longer seen as a tourist showcase, but as a space to be regulated.. Controlling traffic flows has become a central challenge, supported by tools for monitoring, assessing and anticipating visitor numbers.
- – The second major change is the emphasis placed on local communities. UNESCO insists on their effective integration into site governance and economic spin-offs. Heritage cannot be sustainable if it is perceived as a resource captured from the outside, with no tangible benefit for the territories that bear it. This approach goes beyond the principle of inclusion to become a criterion for the credibility of management systems.
- – Third structuring orientation: the operational integration of sustainability. Protecting ecosystems, adapting to climate change and managing tourism infrastructures are no longer declarations of intent. They are now part of concrete requirements, calling for clear, documented arbitration.
UNESCO also emphasizes local capacity-building, through training, heritage engineering and regional cooperation, in order to reduce the gaps between well-endowed sites and more fragile territories.
What these lines mean for Caribbean territories
For sites that have already been classified, these guidelines translate into higher standards. Conservation can no longer be dissociated from tourism management, and management authorities are called upon to demonstrate their ability to reconcile visitor numbers, site protection and social acceptability.
The message is just as clear for territories applying for or registered on the tentative lists: future registrations will have to be based on sound management projects, integrating social, environmental and economic dimensions from the outset.
This development can be a real challenge. It highlights the complex trade-offs between immediate economic needs and long-term preservation, between tourist appeal and quality of life for local residents. But it also opens up the prospect of heritage tourism models that are better adapted to island realities, less dependent on growth in visitor numbers alone, and more based on the control of usage.
Figures that reinforce the urgency
The data presented at the workshop underline the scale of the challenges. Tourism accounts for almost 10% of the gross domestic product of Latin America and the Caribbean and supports more than 35 million jobs in the region. However, this rapid growth is not without consequences: around 40% of World Heritage sites now report pressure from tourism.
In Santo Domingo, for example, the number of international visitors to the historic center in 2024 was 30% up on the previous year. This trend is a concrete illustration of the tensions faced by heritage site managers, who are called upon to maintain the balance between attractiveness, conservation and urban functioning.
Towards a heritage conceived as a governance tool
The UNESCO-sponsored initiative also calls into question a tourism model that has long dominated the region. An over-exploited heritage, reduced to its image value, tends to be rapidly exhausted, to the detriment of the territories and their inhabitants. The guidelines discussed in Santo Domingo sketch out another path, that of a heritage conceived as a shared resource, to be managed and passed on rather than consumed.
The Santo Domingo meeting does not redefine world heritage; it redefines the responsibilities that go with it. For the Caribbean, these more demanding lines represent both a constraint and an opportunity.
They impose higher standards, but also offer a framework for reinforcing site governance, better controlling use and integrating heritage into sustainable territorial strategies. In the long term, World Heritage could thus become more than just a label of excellence in the Caribbean, but a veritable steering tool at the service of territories.
She observes a rapid intensification of tourist flows in the region, combined with increased vulnerability of ecosystems and historic centers. These developments are putting existing management models under strain. By reinforcing its guidelines, UNESCO seeks to remind us that World Heritage status implies lasting responsibilities in terms of governance, conservation and territorial balance.
It marks a clear shift from a promotional approach to a management approach. Controlling flows, integrating local communities and adapting to climate change become central criteria. Heritage is no longer seen simply as a lever for attractiveness, but as a space to be regulated and managed over the long term.
For sites already listed, these guidelines imply a higher level of requirement in terms of planning and governance. For candidate territories, they make future registrations conditional on the existence of solid, credible management projects. Ultimately, these guidelines may encourage tourism models that are better adapted to island realities and more respectful of local populations.
On November 19, during a key moment for understanding the dynamics of RUP and PTOM, the Centre Europe Direct Antilles-Guyane (CEDAG), in partnership with the COMOB of Martinique and the DRAJES Martinique, organized two discussion sessions on the occasion of the visit of Flora Goudappel, specialist in European constitutional law and Europe Direct Curaçao representative. The aim of the meeting was to gain a better understanding of the links between the European Union and the Outermost Regions (RUP) and Overseas Countries and Territories (PTOM). It was part of a shared desire to explore what RUP and PTOM dynamics mean in concrete terms for Caribbean territories.
Une carrière mondiale et un retour triomphal
The visit was part of a dynamic initiated a year ago: Curaçao wanted to gain a better understanding of Martinique, its European status and the scope for cooperation in the Caribbean. A territory of 160,000 inhabitants, which has just proudly celebrated its historic first qualification for the World Cup, was demonstrating its desire to forge concrete relations with another neighboring island territory… and a European one at that. A way of demonstrating that, beyond institutional arrangements, cooperation is first and foremost rooted in human initiatives.
European statutes structure Caribbean relations
In the course of the discussion, Flora Goudappel highlighted the nuances between RUP and PTOM status.
The RUP – such as Martinique, French Guiana and the Canaries – belong fully to the European Union, and benefit from derogations adapted to their insular and economic realities.
The PTOM, including Curaçao, are not part of the European Union, but enjoy a preferential position that gives them access to the European market and enables them to develop partnerships. These differences profoundly structure relations in the region.
To illustrate these distinctions, Flora Goudappel drew on real-life situations: migratory pressures in the Canaries, national choices concerning the Schengen visa, and debates in the Netherlands surrounding the planned changes to the status of Bonaire and Sint Eustatius. These realities show how in the RUP and PTOM frameworks shape the trajectories of each territory.
Building European cooperation: a mechanism for working together
One strong idea came up again and again: to use European funds, you need to master the necessary skills.
Work carried out with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OCDE) over a period of eighteen months has highlighted a real challenge: coordination between the European Union, the State, the Region and operational players needs to be strengthened to enable smoother access to funds. When one of these links is weakened, the whole process becomes more complicated, particularly for the RUP and PTOM.
The OCDE toolbox – now accessible via the Centre Europe Direct Antilles-Guyane (CEDAG) – has been designed to support local teams, facilitate their work and make European schemes more accessible.
The Bwa Lansan association also shared its experience, illustrating how the gradual mastery of programs can transform the scope of a project and improve cooperation between RUP and PTOM.
Caribbean dynamics: where Martinique and Curaçao meet
Discussions then turned to the place of Martinique and Curaçao in regional forums such as the Caribbean Forum of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (CARIFORUM) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
The Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and CARIFORUM opens up a wide range of prospects: youth mobility, educational programs, economic or environmental projects – these are just some of the areas in which the OR and OCT territories can find common ground.
Martinique and Curaçao are observers to CARICOM. They can attend meetings and take part in discussions, but do not enjoy full prerogatives. In the case of Martinique, this position has yet to be ratified by France, a prerequisite for full operational status. The discussions highlighted the importance of better understanding these mechanisms, so that Martinique’s local authorities can assess what these regional spaces can really do for them.
A day of sincere exchanges and shared questions
When the participants took the floor, their presentations revealed a mosaic of backgrounds: local authority officials, tourism players, association leaders, international mobility professionals. All shared the same desire: to forge stronger links between Caribbean territories, despite administrative borders, different languages and divergent statuses.
Several participants raised specific questions, while others shared their own experiences. The exchanges were characterized by frankness, lucidity and a shared desire to understand how to move forward together in concrete ways.
This collective dynamic has given substance to the idea that regional cooperation is not just an institutional principle: it is built on the voices, expectations, needs and ambitions of each individual, and on the subtle articulation of the realities of the RUP and PTOM.
A common trajectory to be written between Europe and the Caribbean
As the meeting drew to a close, a clear feeling emerged: Martinique and Curaçao possess fertile ground for developing joint projects. Mobility, education, ecology, local economy, innovation, culture… the possibilities are numerous, provided that the territories can mobilize European and regional tools in a coherent way, as encouraged by the RUP and PTOM.
The discussions on November 19 have opened up a path. A path where collaborations become possible, where European frameworks are read more clearly, and where Caribbean territories find spaces to meet differently.
That day, cooperation took shape in the voices present, but also in the desire to extend these exchanges beyond this meeting, to build a lasting relationship, adapted to the realities of the Caribbean and the ambitions of each territory – a valuable dynamic in all RUP and PTOM relations.
FAQ - RUP and PTOM in the Caribbean region
The outermost regions (RUP) are fully integrated into the European Union, and apply European law, with some adaptations to reflect their insularity. The Overseas Countries and Territories (PTOM), on the other hand, are not integrated into the European territory, but benefit from a preferential status enabling enhanced cooperation, particularly in the economic and educational fields.
Martinique, as an RUP, and Curaçao, as an PTOM, share common challenges: youth mobility, ecological transition, local economy, education and innovation. Their cooperation makes it possible to use European and Caribbean tools in a complementary way, opening up hitherto little-exploited regional perspectives.
European schemes – mobility, training, partnerships, regional programs – offer RUP and PTOM concrete opportunities for collaboration. The toolbox developed with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OCDE) helps territorial players to make better use of these programs.
COP30 is being held in Belém, in the Brazilian state of Pará, from November 10 to 21, 2025. This 30ᵉ United Nations Climate Change Conference is taking place for the first time in the heart of the Amazon, symbol of an ecosystem vital to the planet. Through this COP30, the world’s leaders are embarking on a decisive negotiation, that of the real implementation of the commitments made since the Paris Agreement. For the countries of the Caribbean, which are directly exposed to the effects of global warming, this edition offers concrete hope: to obtain fairer recognition of their needs and sustainable funding for climate adaptation.
An opening focused on Amazonia and climate justice
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva opened COP30 by stressing the shared responsibility of nations and the need for immediate action. “We’re moving in the right direction, but at the wrong speed”, he told the delegations gathered in Brazil. This message resounds like a global warning.
Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the Climate Convention, reminded us that every delay has a cost, in human lives and economic losses. Holding the conference in Brazil, in the heart of a territory that is home to 60% of the Amazon rainforest, underlines the symbolic and ecological dimension of this edition. COP30 aims to put biodiversity, indigenous peoples and South-South cooperation back at the heart of international decision-making.
The first sessions demonstrated a new dynamic: the rapid adoption of the agenda and the determination to translate promises into concrete action, particularly in the fields of energy, transparency and financing.
An ambitious program of transition and governance
COP30 is organized around four priorities: emissions reduction, adaptation, financing and climate governance. By hosting the conference in Belém, Brazil aims to embody the transition to an economic model based on the preservation of nature.
The “Capacity-Building Hub”, one of the highlights of the conference, focuses on strengthening local skills. Sessions cover sustainable financing, energy transition, nature-based solutions and the role of cultural heritage in building resilience.
The United Nations reiterates that limiting the temperature rise to 1.5°C remains an imperative, not a theoretical objective. COP30 must therefore validate concrete monitoring and transparency mechanisms capable of ensuring the credibility of national commitments.
The Caribbean, a united voice for survival
For the Caribbean, COP30 is a vital forum. Island states are calling for immediate responses to rising sea levels and intensifying hurricanes. The Caribbean Development Bank pointed out that “the region has never been so exposed or so determined to defend its climatic survival”.
The Caribbean delegations are calling for direct access to international funds, without debt conditions. They call for the pledges of $1,300 billion annually by 2035 to be honored and distributed equitably.
In the parallel areas of Belém, several adaptation projects are presented: coastal restoration in Dominica, sustainable water management in Saint Lucia, community reforestation in Haiti. These initiatives demonstrate that the region is already taking action, but lacks financial support commensurate with the challenges.
Persistent differences between North and South
COP30 discussions reveal structural tensions between industrialized countries and vulnerable states. The debate on climate finance crystallizes the disagreements. Northern nations recognize the need to increase their contribution, but without specifying transfer modalities or access criteria.
The “Together4Transparency” initiative seeks to establish a universal framework for monitoring commitments, guaranteeing public and comparable data. For small island states, this transparency will highlight their efforts, which are often invisible in global balance sheets.
Delegations from tropical territories insist on a simple equation: without fair financing, adaptation is impossible. Negotiators must therefore decide between rhetoric and responsibility, between financial commitments and real climate justice.
Belém, symbol of renewed climate governance
The city of Belém embodies the contradictions of today’s world: ecological vulnerability, collective hopes and logistical constraints. Despite the organizational challenges, this COP30 is seeing record mobilization from civil society and local communities.
Brazil, as host country, asserts its role as mediator between major emitters and vulnerable nations. The Amazon thus becomes a global mirror: preserving its forests means protecting threatened islands, deltas and coastlines.
The indigenous peoples of the Amazon and representatives from the Caribbean share a common demand: to be heard, to participate in decision-making and to benefit from the resources needed to protect their territories.
A decisive COP30 for the Caribbean and the world
As negotiations continue, COP30 is shaping up to be a moment of truth. The Caribbean hopes to see its priorities enshrined in the final text: equitable financing, institutional inclusion and recognition of the role of tropical territories in climate regulation.
The Belém edition could mark the beginning of a profound change, where small island nations cease to be spectators and become partners in balanced global governance.
COP30, more than a summit, acts as a compass for the decades to come. If the decisions taken in Belém are translated into concrete action, they could transform the future of the Caribbean and the entire tropical world, united by the same urgency: survival in a rapidly changing climate.
The OECS continues its regional modernization with a landmark initiative in Saint Lucia: the commissioning of automated kiosks at the country’s two main airports. A decisive step towards smoother, more technological and more secure border management in the Caribbean.
A forward-looking regional project
The OECS Commission (Organization of Eastern Caribbean States) has handed over ten self-service kiosks to Saint Lucia: eight at Hewanorra International Airport (HIA) and two at George F. L. Charles International Airport. This state-of-the-art equipment enables travellers to complete entry formalities themselves, reducing waiting times and congestion in arrival halls.
This operation is part of the OECS Border Management Improvement Program, financed by the European Union through the Regional Integration Through Growth Harmonisation and Technology (RIGHT) program. This partnership illustrates the regional organization’s determination to strengthen cooperation between its member states, while relying on technology as a lever for efficiency and security.
Automated kiosks for a better passenger experience
With this installation, Saint Lucia becomes a concrete example of digital transformation at the service of tourism. The new automated kiosks scan passports, capture fingerprints and speed up data verification, while maintaining a high level of security.
The aim is twofold: to facilitate travel for the region’s nationals, particularly those from CARICOM and the OECS, and to strengthen the country’s ability to identify and filter high-risk passengers. This intelligent approach illustrates the balance the region is seeking to strike between opening up tourism and tightening controls.
Strong words from Caribbean leadership
At the official handover ceremony at Hewanorra International Airport, OECS Director General Dr Didacus Jules emphasized the strategic significance of this development:
“As global tourism becomes more competitive, travelers are looking not only for beautiful destinations, but also for an efficient, seamless and secure entry experience.”
Dr Didacus Jules emphasized that modernizing ports of entry is an essential pillar for supporting the economic growth of member states and reinforcing the international perception of an organized, technological and welcoming Caribbean.
For his part, Saint Lucia’s Minister of the Interior, Crime Prevention and Persons with Disabilities, Hon. Jeremiah Norbert, praised the investment:
“To maintain the global competitiveness of our tourism sector and meet security challenges, efficient border management systems are essential. They must deny entry to at-risk passengers while offering smooth passage to legitimate travelers.”
These declarations reflect a shared vision: to make the OECS area a model of harmonized regional management, where technological innovation is integrated with the imperatives of sovereignty and mobility.
A regional program already underway
The handover of ten kiosks in Saint Lucia comes just a few months after a similar initiative in Grenada, where six kiosks were delivered in March 2025. Eventually, the OECS Commission aims to equip all member states: Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Montserrat, as well as associated territories such as Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands.
Beyond infrastructure, the aim is to establish a framework for cooperation and data sharing to harmonize entry procedures, strengthen traceability and ensure better coordination between immigration services.
The initiative is thus aligned with the OECS’ regional priorities, which aim to accelerate digital transformation, boost sustainable tourism and improve regional connectivity. Technology becomes a strategic tool to accompany the mobility of Caribbean citizens while supporting economic competitiveness.
Saint Lucia, showcase of a new Caribbean era
For Saint Lucia, this partnership with the OECS and the European Union symbolizes a major step forward. The island is reinforcing its image as a modern, welcoming destination, with infrastructures that meet international standards. The automation of entry points is set to reduce waiting times, improve visitor satisfaction and optimize the management of tourist flows – a crucial issue for a country where tourism accounts for over 60% of GDP.
But beyond the immediate gain, this initiative reflects the political will to place Saint Lucia on a regional trajectory of digital integration. By relying on the structure and coordination of the OECS, the island benefits from a common framework of expertise, financing and training, while contributing to the construction of an interconnected Eastern Caribbean.
Towards intelligent regional connectivity
OECS is demonstrating its ability to combine vision, financing and execution in projects with a tangible impact. The installation of these terminals is more than just a technological gesture: it symbolizes the growing power of a region that is modernizing its infrastructure, reinforcing safety and making mobility more fluid.
At a time when competition between tourist destinations is intensifying, this modernization positions the Eastern Caribbean in a strategic niche: that of an integrated, safe and technologically advanced area.
By uniting its members around tangible initiatives, the OECS is once again asserting its role as a regional driving force, in the service of a more efficient, more connected and resolutely forward-looking Caribbean.
The Caribbean is facing growing environmental pressure from the massive arrival of sargassum: brown seaweed that washes up on the coast in large numbers, weakening coastal ecosystems and affecting fishing, tourism, public health and the daily lives of island communities. It is against this backdrop that the SARSEA – Sargassum Regional Strategies for Ecosystem-based Actions project was officially launched on October 28, 2025 in Saint Lucia, marking a turning point for regional management of this challenge.
A structuring framework and committed partners
Financed by the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) and implemented by Expertise France in partnership with the Commission of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), the SARSEA project offers the states concerned a framework for cooperation, knowledge and action.
The SARSEA project will focus on a number of key areas:
- – Strengthen regional cooperation on Sargasso planning and management, to improve political coordination and international visibility of the phenomenon.
- – Support small island states – notably Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – in implementing integrated sargassum management and recovery initiatives, adopting a circular and sustainable approach.
- – Support regional scientific cooperation to better understand the phenomenon, anticipate its effects and guide management strategies.
- – Integrate the gender approach into all Sargasso-related policies and actions, to ensure an inclusive and equitable response.
The launch: a key moment for dialogue
The opening ceremony in Saint Lucia was attended by governmental, institutional and scientific representatives from all over the Eastern Caribbean. Among them were the French Ambassador to the Eastern Caribbean, Barbados and the OECS, Marie-Noëlle Duris, and the French Ambassador for regional cooperation in the Atlantic zone, Arnaud Mentré.
Dominica stressed the need for a coordinated, multi-level approach to Sargassum management, citing the role that each island can play in a value chain adapted to its capabilities. Saint Lucia reaffirmed its commitment to playing an active part in this collective response. Grenada, for its part, put forward several priorities: the creation of a regional testing center, the implementation of a grounding monitoring system, a harmonized collection mechanism and a strengthening of sanitary monitoring.
During the event, a partnership protocol was signed between Expertise France and the OECS Commission, reinforcing the institutional framework for regional action. Round tables addressed the national visions of partner countries, followed by the challenges and opportunities of regional cooperation in Sargasso management. The afternoon was devoted to a presentation of the project strategy and a coordination meeting of partners. The following day, participants took part in a collective scientific workshop led by the Institut de Recherche pour le Développement.
Towards a shared Caribbean strategy
The SARSEA project aims to consolidate a network of public, private and scientific players in the region, with a view to pooling skills, data and best practices. The objective of the SARSEA project is clear: to improve preparedness and response to Sargasso groundings, while strengthening the resilience of coastal territories.
Under the SARSEA project, although four states will benefit directly from the project, all twelve OECS member states will be able to take advantage of the lessons, tools and best practices that emerge. This reinforces the regional and inclusive dimension of the action.
Why is this project so important?
Massive sargassum groundings in the Caribbean are not an isolated phenomenon: they disrupt coastlines on a daily basis, affect people’s health (toxic gas emissions during decomposition, respiratory problems), weaken marine ecosystems (seagrass beds, corals, mangroves) and threaten key economic sectors such as fishing and tourism.
In this context, fragmented or national management alone is no longer enough. The phenomenon crosses borders, currents and ecosystems. The SARSEA project proposes a coordinated, sub-regional response based on robust science.
Future milestones
- – Structuring integrated value chains around sargassum: from collection to valorization (possibly into bioproducts, fertilizers, etc.).
- – Set up harmonized monitoring systems for strandings, collection and sanitary analysis.
- – Deployment of concerted scientific actions to fill knowledge gaps and guide better-adapted public policies.
- – Promoting women’s participation and gender mainstreaming in all phases of action.
- Dissemination of project feedback, tools and best practices to all OECS member states.
The launch of the SARSEA project marks an essential step in the regional mobilization against the impact of sargassum in the Eastern Caribbean. By combining political, scientific, technical and inclusive cooperation, the island states now have a structured framework for tackling this complex phenomenon. The SARSEA project does not replace national or local work: it amplifies and structures it, giving it scope and resources. With this new impetus, the prospect of concerted, better-informed and sustainable management of sargassum is taking shape in the region.
The Caribbean Connect project marks a decisive step forward for Guadeloupe, Martinique and Puerto Rico. Officially presented on October 15 at the Canal Média building in Baie-Mahault, this new ultra-high-speed submarine infrastructure, supported by the CANAL+ Group, aims to strengthen the connectivity of the Antilles-Guyane territories and secure their place in the great global digital network.
An urgent need for modernization
Behind this technical name, this project responds to an essential challenge: connecting to the world.
Until now, Guadeloupe and Martinique have depended on an aging submarine cable, which has become inadequate to cope with the rapid growth in demand for connectivity – an increase of over 40% per year.
For Aymé Makuta Mbumba, Managing Director of CANAL+ Télécom, this development had become essential:
“Today, the Internet depends on two things: terrestrial infrastructures and the link with the global Internet. Caribbean Connect is the undersea railroad that links our territories to the rest of the global network.”
With a capacity of 300 Gb/s, it will multiply speeds, reduce latency and ensure a stable, fluid connection for individuals, businesses and public authorities. This cable symbolizes our determination to anchor territories in a sustainable, high-performance digital continuity.
European funding for local development
This project is 70% co-financed by the European Union as part of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF Digital) program, for a total investment of almost 6 million euros.
Present at the conference, Yves Dareau, Secretary General for Regional Affairs, hailed “an emblematic and concrete project, supported by a Europe that connects and invests in the future of its overseas territories”.
This cooperation between public institutions and private players illustrates Europe’s determination to strengthen the digital resilience of its outermost regions.
For her part, Alice Bourrouet, representative of the European executive agency HaDEA, emphasized:
“Financing Caribbean Connect means investing in local communities, their inhabitants and their capacity to innovate.
An exemplary partnership between Europe and the French West Indies and French Guiana
The Guadeloupe Region, represented by Aurélie Bitufwila, President of the Digital Commission, played a key role in bringing the project to fruition. Its presence at the conference testifies to the strong support of local institutions for this strategic infrastructure.
Caribbean Connect is not just a technological project: it embodies successful cooperation between Europe and the French overseas territories, in the service of inclusion and digital sovereignty.
CANAL+ Antilles-Guyane: connect, create, transmit
The presentation continued with Sébastien Punturello, new General Manager of CANAL+ Antilles-Guyane, who placed Caribbean Connect within the group’s global vision:
“This cable is essential infrastructure, but it’s also a symbol: that of a group that believes in the power of links – those of connectivity as well as those of cultural development.”
At the same time, the group continues to accelerate the rollout of fiber optics, already accessible to 80% of Guadeloupe households, and supports more than twenty local productions each year (Zion, Wish, Toutoune…).
In this way, it is part of a broader approach to transmission, access to culture and regional innovation, serving social cohesion as much as technological progress.
A lever for the regional digital economy
Caribbean Connect is scheduled to go live progressively in 2025, followed by the arrival of new services from 2026: local hosting, datacenters and regional interconnections.
This infrastructure marks a strategic turning point for the Antilles-Guyane digital economy. By guaranteeing a fast, stable and sovereign connection, it opens up new opportunities for local businesses in the fields of tech, education, health and e-commerce.
Caribbean Connect represents a major technological advance, but also an act of sovereignty. By enabling overseas territories to retain control over their infrastructures, it paves the way for long-awaited digital autonomy in the region.
A symbol of unity and the future
Caribbean Connect connects communities, economies and shared ambitions.
Its launch illustrates our collective determination to build a future where distance is no longer an obstacle, but a driving force for unity and shared development.
By consolidating the position of the French West Indies and French Guiana in the global digital ecosystem, Caribbean Connect proves that connectivity is not just a matter of cables: it’s a shared desire to build the future together, between the islands and the world.
