The Kali’na of French Guiana have been part of the history of coastal Guyana since well before colonial times, but all too often they have been relegated to the margins of the great discourses on the territory. However, among the Kali’na, history does not live only in books: it continues in a language that is still spoken, in villages where memory remains anchored, in cultural practices that are still present, and in a relationship with the land that has never ceased to structure collective life.
If their names are back in the news today, it’s because an old colonial drama is resurfacing at the heart of public debate. To understand this moment, we need to look beyond a parliamentary sequence: we need to return to a living people, to a wounded memory, and to a transmission that, despite the ruptures of history, has never disappeared.
Who are the Kali'na of French Guiana?
The Kali’na of French Guiana are one of the six Amerindian peoples present in French Guiana. Their historical presence is concentrated mainly on the coast and in western Guiana, notably around Awala-Yalimapo, Mana, Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni and Iracoubo, with reports of their presence towards Cayenne and Kourou. Their language, Kali’na, belongs to the Carib family. It is the only Amerindian language of French Guiana to be spoken in five territories: Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and Brazil. The very word “Kali’na” refers to a strong self-designation, meaning “man, human being”.
This fact alone is enough to shift the gaze. The Kali’na of French Guiana are neither a heritage decoration nor a frozen survival. They belong fully to the territory’s present. Their history is that of a people whose coastal roots go back a long way, whose regional ties extend beyond today’s borders, and who, from the 16th century onwards, had to come to terms with the arrival of the European powers while preserving their own logic of alliance, circulation and transmission.
Why does the memory of the Kali'na matter today?
Kali’na memory is important today because it affects the way Guyana looks at its human foundations. For a long time, indigenous peoples were only mentioned in a secondary way in institutional narratives, as if they belonged first and foremost to the past. Yet Kali’na culture is still passed on in language, in stories, in family references and in bilingual educational materials, showing that this presence remains active. Also in 2024, educational resources in Kali’na and French were published based on stories rooted in the daily life of Awala-Yalimapo, a sign that transmission is not just a matter of memory, but also of the present.
This is what gives the current debate such profound significance. When a people continues to keep its language and cultural references alive, the question of ancestors cannot be reduced to an administrative issue. It touches on the continuity of a community, the dignity of its dead and the place accorded to its history in the public arena.
What happened in 1882 and 1892?
One of the most violent episodes in this history dates back to the end of the 19th century. In 1882 and again in 1892, Kali’na and Arawak from French Guiana were exhibited in Paris as part of ethnographic displays now recognized as part of the history of “human zoos”. These are not mere dates in a colonial chronology: they refer to displaced men, women and children, exposed to the public gaze and stripped of their humanity in the name of so-called scientific or exotic curiosity.
This memory has not remained theoretical. In the explanatory memorandum to the bill under discussion today, it is recalled that a request was made by the Moliko Alet+Po association for the return to French Guiana of human remains of Kali’nas people who had died in mainland France while being exhibited. The text specifies that six skeletons and two casts are involved, kept at the Musée de l’Homme. This clarification gives the affair particular force: colonial history is not only recounted, it is also materially present in public collections.
Why has Iracoubo become such an important place of memory?
Iracoubo has become a major place of remembrance since the inauguration, on August 11, 2024, of two statues in tribute to pi’pi Ahieramo, pi’pi Molko and the 47 Kali’na and Arawak exhibited in 1882 and 1892 at the Jardin Zoologique d’Acclimatation in Paris. This memorial has more than just a symbolic function. It inscribes a long-suppressed or relegated history into the Guyanese landscape, and gives descendants a place to reflect, to speak and to pass on.
Iracoubo thus becomes much more than a place of remembrance. The site links generations, brings history closer to the land, and reminds us that recognition also requires concrete gestures: naming, commemorating, transmitting, making visible. In a territory where colonial wounds have often been told from the outside, this reappropriation has considerable significance.
What is the current status of restitution?
The dossier reached a precise milestone in the spring of 2026. The draft law on the decommissioning of Kali’nas human remains and their return to the Guiana collectivity for burial purposes was submitted to the Senate on October 3, 2024. Visit April 13, 2026At the French National Assembly, Culture Minister Catherine Pégard confirmed the government’s support for this initiative. Visit April 15, 2026The accelerated procedure has been initiated. The text is due to be debated in a public session of the Senate on May 18, 2026.
This is not yet an effective return. The legislative process is not yet complete. The text provides for the removal from public collections of eight Kali’nas remains held at the Musée de l’Homme, and their return to the Guiana collectivity within a year of the law’s entry into force, for burial purposes. If a specific text was needed, it’s because the law of December 26, 2023 on the restitution of human remains belonging to public collections was designed for requests made by foreign states, and not for a French territory like French Guiana.
For the Kali’na of French Guiana, the issue goes beyond parliamentary law. It’s about dignity, reparation and how a people can finally hope to bring their dead back to their land. Through this sequence, an entire memory refuses to be kept at arm’s length.
The Kali’na of French Guiana are one of the Amerindian peoples who have been present in French Guiana for centuries. Their history is closely linked to the coast, particularly in western Guiana, where their culture, language and traditions continue to be passed on. To speak of the Kali’na of French Guiana is to recall that they are a living people, rooted in their territory and in a memory still carried on by current generations.
The memory of the Kali’na of French Guiana is important today because it provides a better understanding of an essential part of Guyanese history that has often remained in the shadows. It concerns not only the past, but also the present: language, family stories, places of memory and cultural transmission show that this history remains profoundly alive. It also reflects a demand for dignity for ancestors who were long treated with disrespect.
In 1882 and 1892, Kali’na and Arawak people from French Guiana were exhibited in Paris at ethnographic exhibitions now associated with the history of “human zoos”. This episode is one of the most painful in colonial history, as it reduced men, women and children to objects of public curiosity. It is this historical violence that still today explains the emotion and importance of the struggle to remember their ancestors.
Iracoubo has become a major place of remembrance in French Guiana since the inauguration, in 2024, of a memorial to the Kali’na and Arawak people exhibited at the end of the 19th century. This place of remembrance gives a tangible presence to a history long relegated to silence. It also makes it possible to inscribe this memory in Guyanese territory, as close as possible to the descendants and communities concerned.
An important milestone was reached in April 2026, when the French government declared its support for a bill providing for the return of Kali’na human remains to French Guiana. At this stage, the actual return has not yet been achieved, as the legislative process must be completed. But this step marks a major turning point: it recognizes that these human remains are not mere collector’s items, but ancestors whose return has been awaited for over a century.
The Loto du Patrimoine 2026 is more than just a list of endangered monuments. For the Caribbean territories, this selection highlights three sites that each bear a sensitive part of local history: the Maison de l’historien Lacour in Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe, the former mill of the Loyola dwelling in Rémire-Montjoly, French Guiana, and the church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Visitation in Gros-Morne, Martinique. The French Ministry of Culture has selected them as one of the 18 emblematic regional sites for the 2026 edition.
Why the Loto du Patrimoine 2026 is important for the Caribbean
For a media attentive to the Caribbean, this selection has a particular significance. It shows that the Loto du Patrimoine 2026 doesn’t just fund technical worksites: it also supports places that structure collective memory, urban identity, historical narratives and cultural transmission. Since 2018, the Mission Patrimoine lottery has raised over 210 million euros and supported 1,080 sites; 70% of projects have now been saved or are on the verge of being saved, and 500 worksites have been completed.
In this context, Guadeloupe, French Guiana and Martinique appear as three very different but complementary cases. One relates to intellectual and urban history, the other to the plantation economy and archaeology, and the third to the persistence of a religious heritage marked by natural disasters. It is this crossover that gives the Loto du Patrimoine 2026 its real significance in the Caribbean.
Guadeloupe: Auguste Lacour's house, a heritage challenge for Basse-Terre
In Basse-Terre, the Loto du Patrimoine 2026 awards the Maison de l’historien Lacour, a house linked to Auguste Lacour, a major figure in Guadeloupean history. It’s a small, modest colonial building, similar to a Creole hut, but now badly damaged and at risk of advanced deterioration. The project involves not only the complete restoration of the house, but also the ashlar fountain, the wrought-iron gate and the vegetable garden. Work is scheduled to start in the second half of 2026, with completion scheduled for December 2027.
The interest of this site goes far beyond the mere preservation of an ancient building. The house has been used for a number of purposes: as a historian’s residence, as a birthplace, then as an interpretation center within the framework of the Ville d’Art et d’Histoire label. Listed as a historic monument in 2016, the house and its surroundings could be used for a tourism or cultural project in the future, helping to revitalize Basse-Terre’s town center. With this in mind, the Loto du Patrimoine 2026 also acts as a lever for urban reactivation.
French Guiana: Loyola, a mill at the heart of a wider history
In French Guiana, the Loto du Patrimoine 2026 focuses on the former mill of the Loyola dwelling in Rémire-Montjoly. The aim is to restore the entire mill, including its wind intake, transmission and grinding mechanisms. Work is scheduled to start at the end of 2026 and be completed in 2027.
But the real strength of this site lies in its historical depth. The Loyola dwelling, acquired by the Jesuits in 1668, is presented as the largest slave dwelling in French Guiana. The mill is therefore not an isolated vestige: it is part of a whole that sheds light on sugar production, colonial organization and the reality of slave labor. Since 1994, archaeologists have been studying the site, part of which remains to be discovered. The Loto du Patrimoine 2026 gives visibility to a site where built heritage, colonial memory and historical research meet in a very direct way.
Martinique: in Gros Morne, the urgent need to save a weakened church
In Martinique, the site selected for the Loto du Patrimoine 2026 is the Notre-Dame-de-la-Visitation church in Gros-Morne. Built in 1743, it has been closed to the public since 2016 and no longer complies with paraseismic standards since it was weakened by the earthquake of September 29, 2009. The announced works will secure the main nave and aisles, restore the two sacristies and the forechoir, as well as the choir and nave enclosure. Start-up is scheduled for summer 2026, with completion scheduled for 2027.
Here again, heritage interest goes far beyond religious architecture. Today’s parish is the result of successive reconstructions after cyclones, earthquakes and other hazards. Its history reflects that of a Martinican society forced to constantly adapt its heritage to the island’s natural realities. Against this backdrop, the Loto du Patrimoine 2026 awards a building that embodies both faith and resilience.
Three territories, three interpretations of heritage
By selecting Guadeloupe, French Guiana and Martinique, the Loto du Patrimoine 2026 is in fact drawing up three ways of thinking about heritage in the French Caribbean region: preserving a literary house in the heart of a town, restoring a major vestige linked to the history of slavery and the sugar industry, and saving a church marked by the ravages of time and nature. This trio reminds us that a monument only has meaning if it remains legible for local residents, useful for the region and capable of transmitting a complete history, even in its most difficult areas.
In the French Caribbean, three territories are involved in the Loto du Patrimoine 2026: Guadeloupe, French Guiana and Martinique. These three sites are included in the official list of 18 emblematic regional sites announced by the French Ministry of Culture.
In Guadeloupe, the chosen site is the Maison de l’historien Lacour in Basse-Terre. The project involves restoring the house, the ashlar fountain, the wrought-iron gate and the kitchen garden. Work is due to start in the second half of 2026, with completion scheduled for December 2027.
The former mill of the Loyola dwelling in Rémire-Montjoly is a major heritage site, bearing witness to the history of sugar production, the Jesuit presence and the slave system in French Guiana. The Fondation du Patrimoine points out that the Loyola dwelling, acquired in 1668 by the Jesuits, is considered to be the largest slave dwelling in French Guiana. The selected project aims at a complete restoration of the mill and its mechanism.
In Martinique, the selected site is the Notre-Dame-de-la-Visitation church in Gros-Morne. Built in 1743, it has been closed to the public since 2016 and was weakened by the earthquake of September 29, 2009, making restoration work particularly urgent.
The Loto du Patrimoine 2026 is used to provide financial support for monuments and sites in peril identified throughout France, including overseas territories. The Mission Patrimoine scheme, launched in 2018, has already supported 1,080 sites since its inception, with 500 worksites completed and 70% of projects saved or in the process of being saved.
On Saturday March 28, at the Centre Aquatique Pierre Samot in Le Lamentin, the CARIFTA Aquatics Championships 2026 press conference was more than just an information meeting. Over the course of an hour and a half, organizers, athletes and partners presented much more than just the sporting program: from April 3 to 8, Martinique will host the 39th edition of the Caribbean’s leading junior aquatic event, ten years after the first edition was so memorable. Twenty-four nations. Three disciplines. A home territory that knows it.
A bid driven by collective memory
In 2024, at the Caribbean Aquatics Association Congress held in the Bahamas, two bids were put forward to host the 2026 CARIFTA Aquatics Championships: Saint Lucia and Martinique. The vote was clear-cut: some thirty votes for Martinique, ten for Saint Lucia.
Behind this result is a story. The 2016 edition, the first ever to be held on home soil, left its mark on the minds of all those who were there: coaches, delegation leaders, officials. In 2024, when it came time to vote, many still remembered that week.
"It was a beautiful edition, and one that will always be remembered."
The other factor was more concrete: Sainte-Lucie did not yet have its own pool. Martinique, on the other hand, can count on the Centre Aquatique Pierre Samot in Le Lamentin, with its ten-lane Olympic pool, 800-seat grandstand and 25-meter warm-up pool. One of the best facilities in the Caribbean.
The organization also emphasized its capacity to welcome delegations from outside the basin, with several accommodation solutions mobilized in the south of the island, supplemented by other structures if necessary. This logistical aspect, rarely secondary in this type of event, reinforced the credibility of Martinique’s bid.
Three disciplines, 24 nations, a demanding format
The CARIFTA Aquatics Championships 2026 will bring together 24 countries: 21 English-speaking Caribbean nations, plus Martinique, Guadeloupe and Guyana. The swimming races will take place over four days: heats in the morning, finals in the afternoon, from Saturday April 5 to Tuesday April 8. Artistic swimming gets underway on Monday during the lunch break, with solos followed by technical events. The duets and teams round off the program on Wednesday morning. On the same Wednesday, the open water event takes place over five kilometers in the Anses d’Arlets.
Competitors: Benjamins (11-12 years), Minimes (13-14 years), Cadets (15-17 years) do not enter as individuals. They are national selections, with the best swimmers from each territory. To enter the Martinique selection, swimmers must satisfy a time grid established over the previous two seasons, which only selects swimmers capable of reaching the finals.
In the minds of the organizers, selection is based on a simple logic: to score points, you have to enter the final, and to enter the final, you have to be among the top eight times in the morning heats. In other words, the swimmers selected are supposed to have a level that enables them to play a real role in the competition, and not just participate.
The Martinique delegation at the CARIFTA Aquatics Championships 2026 has 61 swimmers: 36 in racing, 12 in open water, five of whom also race, and 18 in artistic swimming. The team is led by five captains: Jean-Naël Zozime and Maxime Auguste-Charlery for boys’ racing (15-17 age group), Cyrielle Manin and Sayanne Guivissa for girls’ racing, and Nohemy Marajo for artistic swimming.
Water as starting point and destination
When asked how he got started, Jean-Naël Zozime, captain of the boys’ selection, answers straightforwardly: “I was introduced to swimming so that I wouldn’t drown. Cyrielle Manin, captain of the girls’ selection, tells much the same story: she almost drowned as a child, and that’s what led her to learn to swim.
These two testimonies, heard just a few minutes apart, say something important about this territory. Two young Martiniquans, initially frightened by the sea, who are now representing their island against twenty-three Caribbean nations. This is more than just a sporting achievement.
"Swimming is a tough sport. You can't expect it to be easy, but with a lot of perseverance, anyone can do it."
Nohemy Marajo, artistic swimming captain, has been practicing for ten years a discipline that the public still knows little about. She explains it concretely: learning choreographies on dry land, rehearsing them in the water, controlling your breathing under the surface while your legs draw figures above. It’s a sport that’s as technically demanding as it is physically demanding, and has as much to do with ballet as it does with endurance.
"You have to know how to endure, how to save every last breath to finish the choreography."
The conference of the CARIFTA Aquatics Championships 2026 also pointed out that artistic swimming is still a confidential discipline in the Caribbean, due to the infrastructure it requires and the level of preparation required. It requires three-dimensional work and very thorough technical preparation, as well as the support of outside professionals, particularly in dance and gymnastic preparation. For the supervisors, the challenge of CARIFTA is twofold: to support those who are already practising and to encourage new vocations.
What the coaching team observes in these youngsters is a constant: they train, take their exams, compete at weekends, and do it all over again. “Generally, swimmers perform well in their studies too, because they’ve worked on this rigor on a daily basis.” What you learn in the pool also applies elsewhere, and the organizers insist on this daily requirement: it’s not enough to qualify, you have to be able to show up on the day, in a sport where regularity and discipline count as much as talent.
Medals from the hands of the island
The way an event rewards its champions often says a lot about what it stands for. At the CARIFTA Aquatics Championships 2026, the medals were made in Martinique from noble woods: pearwood for gold, mao bleu for silver, mao ghani for bronze. A craftsman from the Nord-Atlantique region produced them, Joseph Galliard signed the engravings, and a local seamstress made the pouches in the three colors of the Martinican flag.
The initiative was spearheaded by the event’s godmother, Coralie Balmy, a former top-level swimmer who had taken part in the CARIFTA four times in her career. An eco-responsible and identity-affirming initiative, hailed as a first on the Caribbean scale.
Every Caribbean athlete who reaches the podium at the CARIFTA Aquatics Championships 2026 will leave with a piece of Martinique, a unique medal made by local craftsmen, unlike any other.
The conference also specified that trophies would accompany these awards, and that the medals had yet to receive their lanyards before the competition opened. Here too, the aim is clear: to make each award a sporting, local and symbolic object.
A week that mobilizes the whole territory
The CARIFTA Aquatics Championships 2026 won’t just be played out in the pools. Between 1,500 and 1,800 people are arriving in Martinique: swimmers, staff and families spread out over several hotels in the south of the island. Every day, around 150 volunteers ensure the smooth running of the event: former swimmers, parents, locals who sometimes have no direct connection with swimming, but who wanted to get involved.
Among them, the officials play a decisive role: some 26 officials from the Caribbean will reinforce the Martinique officials, bringing the number of people around the pool to around fifty for each morning and afternoon meeting. In addition, there will be first-aid attendants, reception teams, people in charge of awards, delegation escorts and areas open to the public.
Welcoming delegations to the CARIFTA Aquatics Championships 2026 was also thought through in detail. They all had to arrive on April 2, at different times of the day, sometimes very early in the morning, sometimes late at night. In conjunction with the transport company and SAMAC, a precise plan was drawn up at the airport to ensure smooth exits, transfers to buses and settling into accommodation, with particular attention paid to meals depending on the time of arrival.
The opening ceremony of the CARIFTA Aquatics Championships 2026, on Friday April 3 at the Georges Gratiant stadium, is free and open to all: 2,800 seats to fill. The group “Nou Pa Sav” will accompany the parade of delegations. On Saturday, April 4, Les Hommes d’Argile will be on hand as the delegations arrive on site, offering a strong cultural backdrop intended as a symbolic first encounter with Martinican identity. Throughout the week, Martinican cultural groups will be on hand to ensure that visitors leave with a living image of the region, not just competition results.
The CARIFTA Aquatics Championships 2026 ceremony is scheduled to take place from 4 to 6 p.m., and will be broadcast on a giant screen, as well as relayed by media partners and via YouTube for wider distribution in the Caribbean. The ambition is clear: to make Martinique the center of the Caribbean for the duration of the event.
In addition to sport, the organizers of the CARIFTA Aquatics Championships 2026 also have an economic and cultural objective. Bringing in up to 1,800 people means filling accommodation, generating consumption, encouraging car rentals and putting the hotel and restaurant sectors to work. It’s also a way of showcasing Martinique’s culture, notably through the entertainment planned for the opening ceremony and the arrival of the delegations.
The open water event at Anses d’Arlets also serves as a reminder that the sea is a living, fragile environment that deserves protection. The association’s representative at the conference sums up its mission simply: “learn to swim to discover the seas and protect them.”
This educational dimension goes beyond drowning prevention. It also touches on the appropriation of water by the people of Martinique, the discovery of the discipline by the youngest and the broader desire to reinforce the region’s aquatic culture in the long term.
An assertive island
A phrase uttered at the end of the conference sums up the general mood: “We’re ready, and we’ll make the CARIFTA Aquatics Championships 2026 a collective success and a great source of pride for our region.”
What the delegations take away with them on the evening of April 8 is more than just a ranking. It’s an image of Martinique, a territory that knows how to welcome, organize and assert its identity. For six days, the whole Caribbean will be there. It’s up to Martinique to show what it can do.
But the organizers of the CARIFTA Aquatics Championships 2026 also want to leave their mark after the event. The Ligue de Natation de Martinique ended the 2024-2025 season with some 2,540 members, around ten affiliated clubs and, generally speaking, 7 to 8 clubs involved in competition. With this in mind, the CARIFTAs are not intended as a parenthesis, but rather as a possible catalyst to encourage vocations, boost membership and establish swimming as a permanent fixture on the Martinique sports scene.
The organizers of the CARIFTA Aquatics Championships 2026 have also chosen not to reproduce the large village of 2016. In 2026, the activities surrounding the competition are to be more focused, with one day in particular being highlighted, in order to concentrate energy and attendance rather than scattering the highlights.
The CARIFTA Aquatics Championships 2026 is the 39th edition of the Caribbean’s leading junior aquatic event, held in Martinique from April 3 to 8. Twenty-four nations are taking part in racing, artistic and open water swimming, in categories ranging from 11 to 17 years of age.
The swimming race and artistic swimming events take place at the Centre Aquatique Pierre Samot in Le Lamentin. The 5-kilometer open water event takes place in Anses d’Arlets on Wednesday April 8.
Tickets are available on cariftamartinique2026.com and on the Ligue de Natation de Martinique social networks. Prices: €10 in the morning, €20 in the afternoon for adults, 4-day pass at €125. The opening ceremony at the Georges Gratiant stadium is free of charge.
Twenty-four countries are taking part: 21 English-speaking Caribbean nations, plus Martinique, Guadeloupe and Guyana.
The Martinique squad is led by five captains: Jean-Naël Zozime and Maxime Auguste-Charlery for boys’ racing, Cyrielle Manin and Sayanne Guivissa for girls’ racing, and Nohemy Marajo for artistic swimming.
On March 25, 2026, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution that marks a milestone in the international recognition of the history of slavery. The text qualifies the transatlantic African slave trade and racialized chattel slavery as the most serious crime against humanity. The text, sponsored by Ghana, was adopted by 123 votes in favor, with 3 against and 52 abstentions. Opponents included the USA, Argentina and Israel, while several European countries, including the UK, chose to abstain. Behind this strong wording is more than just a symbolic gesture. For the Caribbean, this decision is part of a historical and political continuity, echoing decades of work, demands and struggles for fairer recognition of this memory.
Recognition that redefines the international debate
By classifying slavery as a major crime against humanity, the UN has crossed a threshold rarely reached by international bodies. This recognition does not create an immediate legal obligation for States, but it profoundly alters the framework of global debate. It introduces a more explicit reading of history, in which the transatlantic slave trade is no longer merely evoked as a past tragedy, but as a crime whose consequences continue into the present.
This evolution in international discourse is not insignificant. It comes at a time when issues relating to colonial legacies, structural discrimination and historical inequalities are taking on increasing importance in public debate. By taking a clear stance, the UN is helping to legitimize the analyses long put forward by Caribbean researchers, institutions and cultural players, who stress that the history of slavery cannot be dissociated from contemporary realities.
The Caribbean, at the heart of history and current issues
For the Caribbean territories, this decision is more than just a historical observation. It has a direct bearing on their very construction. The transatlantic slave trade and the slave system have shaped the region’s economies, societies, languages and cultures. Plantations, land structures, social hierarchies and even some of today’s economic dynamics have their roots in this period.
Recognition by the UN thus confirms a reality that the Caribbean has never ceased to bear: that of a founding history, the effects of which are still visible. It also repositioned the region in the global narrative, not as a peripheral space, but as a central territory in the understanding of the great historical transformations linked to slavery and colonization.
This international recognition also offers a strategic opportunity. It strengthens the capacity of Caribbean territories to influence global discussions on memory, justice and reparations. It gives added legitimacy to the steps already taken by certain regional institutions, which have been working for several years to structure concrete proposals on these issues.
Reparations and memorial justice: a new dynamic
One of the most important effects of this resolution concerns the issue of reparations. By classifying slavery as a major crime against humanity, the UN opens the way to more structured discussions on forms of restorative justice. This includes avenues such as official apologies, the restitution of cultural property, the funding of educational programs and public policies aimed at correcting the inequalities inherited from this history.
In the Caribbean, these issues are not new. They are part of a long-standing process, driven in particular by regional initiatives seeking recognition of the lasting consequences of slavery. The UN decision does not create a binding framework, but it changes the balance of power by giving international support to these claims.
It can also encourage better structuring of remembrance policies. In many regions, the transmission of the history of slavery remains uneven and sometimes fragmented, despite the fact that it is central to understanding today’s societies. UN recognition can serve as a lever to strengthen educational programs, support research and enhance the value of places of remembrance.
Recognition that also reveals tensions
The vote on this resolution highlights persistent differences within the international community. While a large majority of States supported the text, certain oppositions and abstentions show that the issue remains sensitive. The reservations expressed relate in particular to the political and historical implications of this qualification, as well as to the consequences it could have in terms of reparations.
These tensions are a reminder that there is no absolute consensus on the recognition of slavery as a major crime. It remains a subject of debate, where diplomatic stakes, historical responsibilities and economic considerations are intertwined. For the Caribbean, this situation confirms that the battle for full recognition of this history is still ongoing.
Rethinking the Caribbean narrative on a global scale
Beyond the political stakes, this decision offers an opportunity to redefine the way the Caribbean is told internationally. All too often reduced to a simplified tourist or cultural image, the region has a complex history marked by violence, resistance and reconstruction.
The UN’s position puts this history back at the center of the global narrative. It invites us to consider the Caribbean not only as a space of memory, but also as a place of intellectual and political production. The region’s reflections on slavery, colonization and their consequences continue to inform contemporary debates far beyond its borders.
For a medium like RichèsKarayib, this news underlines the importance of offering a demanding, contextualized reading of the Caribbean territories. It reminds us that the region’s culture, history and economic issues are deeply intertwined, and must be approached in their entirety.
Turning recognition into leverage
The real impact of this resolution will depend on the actions that follow. International recognition is a step forward, but it is not enough on its own to bring about concrete change. For the Caribbean, the challenge now is to transform this decision into a lever for action, by strengthening cooperation, structuring public policies and consolidating research and transmission initiatives.
The UN has set an important milestone by classifying the transatlantic slave trade and slavery as a major crime against humanity. For the Caribbean territories, this recognition represents an opportunity to advance essential debates linked to their history and development. It opens up a new way of thinking about international relations, by fully integrating the legacies of the past into the construction of the present and the future.
The UN decision adopted on March 25, 2026 recognizes the transatlantic slave trade and slavery as the most serious crime against humanity. It aims to affirm the historical gravity of these events, and to encourage international discussions on remembrance, justice and reparations.
No, this UN resolution is not legally binding. It does not impose direct obligations, but it does have a strong political and symbolic impact that can influence international discussions and public policy.
The Caribbean has been deeply marked by the transatlantic slave trade and slavery. This recognition by the UN validates a historical reading that has long been held in the region, and can support initiatives linked to remembrance, education and reparations.
The Organisation internationale de la Francophonie has published a figure that reshuffles the deck in the global language debate: 396 million people now speak French. With this total, the French language in the world rises from 5th to 4th position behind English, Mandarin and Spanish, but ahead of standard Arabic. This is more than just an announcement. It marks a fundamental change in the place of French on the international stage, and confirms that the language continues to make headway in strategic areas such as education, economic exchanges, digital technology and cultural mobility.
Global progress changes the narrative around French
For years, French has often been portrayed as a language of great influence, but weakened in the face of global competition. The OIF’s 2026 report introduces an important corrective. The French language in the world is not only holding its own: it is gaining ground in terms of the number of speakers and international visibility. Moving up to 4th place in the world ranking not only gives it strong symbolic weight, but also political, educational and economic weight. A language that rises in the world rankings is not simply a language handed down by heritage; it’s a language that continues to be learned, used, relayed and invested in.
French should not be analyzed solely as an institutional or diplomatic language. It remains a language of concrete circulation, spoken, taught, worked on and adapted to very different contexts. The French language in the world today is driven by demographic and social realities that go far beyond the European framework, and this is precisely what the 2026 report highlights.
396 million speakers: what this figure really means
The figure of 396 million must be read with care. It refers to a linguistic community spread over the five continents and not a homogeneous block. This means that French continues to exist in a wide variety of contexts: as a mother tongue for some, as a language of instruction for others, and as an administrative, professional, cultural or communication language in multilingual societies. This diversity is at the heart of the French language in the world as it really exists in 2026.
This fact also has a strong editorial impact. It reminds us that we can no longer speak of French as a language confined to a single territory or a single national history. French circulates in very different spaces, with multiple uses and its own dynamics. It is this plurality that is its strength today. So the figure of 396 million doesn’t just tell of an increase; it tells of the geographical, social and cultural scope of a global language.
Africa, the decisive center of gravity for the French language worldwide
One of the key findings of the 2026 report is the importance of the African continent. The OIF states that 65% of French speakers live in Africa. This proportion alone is enough to shift the focus. The future of French is no longer being played out primarily in the areas where it has long concentrated its institutional prestige; it is now being played out in young, numerous, urban, creative African societies, with profound educational and economic issues at stake.
This reality forces us to rethink old ideas. Talking about french language around the world without acknowledging the central role of Africa would be to miss the main point of the report. The growth of the French language today depends not only on powerful demographic dynamics, but also on the ability of African education systems, media, cultural industries and French-speaking economies to maintain and expand the use of French. The report’s focus on Africa is not a footnote; it is a structuring element.
A language that's also moving forward through schools, digital technology and business
The 2026 report points out that French is the 2nd most widely-learned foreign language in the world, with almost 170 million learners, confirming its importance in education systems and its appeal well beyond the French-speaking world… It is also listed as 4th most popular language on the Internet and 3rd language of business and economics. These factors give substance to the figure of 396 million: they show that the growth of the French language is based not only on demographics, but also on learning, digital uses and the professional value of the language.
This data is extremely important today. A world language doesn’t just exist through its past or its official status. It also exists through its ability to remain visible in search engines, digital content, educational networks, platforms, commercial exchanges and working environments. The report therefore suggests a more comprehensive reading: the The French language continues to be of practical use around the world, which helps to explain its resilience and progress.
2050: why do IOF projections already count today?
The report’s other strong point is its projection for the coming decades. The IOF estimates that, on current trends, French could be spoken by 590 million people in 2050 including 9 out of 10 in Africa. This is not a mechanical certainty, but a projection based on observed dynamics. It highlights a central issue: the future progress of French will depend less on symbolic rhetoric than on policies for education, training, transmission and access to content.
In other words, the future of the French language in the world is more than just a flattering ranking. It depends on very concrete decisions: quality of teaching, presence of French in career paths, adaptation to digital uses, cultural and media production, the place of the language in student and economic mobility. The 2026 report therefore gives a positive signal, but this signal remains linked to conditions of consolidation.
What the 396 million figure really says
TheOIF ‘s 2026 report not only delivers an impressive total. It redraws the mental map of contemporary Francophonie. 396 million people speak French; the language is moving up the world rankings; its African roots are strengthening; and its weight in learning, the digital world and the economy remains significant. Taken together, these elements provide a more accurate picture of the French in the world: an international language, diverse, in transformation, and still capable of widening its scope.
For a media outlet, a cultural player, an educational institution or a company, this observation has a clear consequence: French should not be seen as a language of retreat, but as a language of the future, provided it is considered in all its geographical and social diversity. This is where the real interest of the 2026 report lies: behind the number lies a reshaping of the global linguistic landscape.
According to the report The French language in the world 2026 published by the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, 396 million people around the world now speak French. This is an important figure, as it shows that the French language retains real international weight and continues to make inroads into the global linguistic landscape. It is not just a language inherited from a shared history between several countries, but one that is still transmitted, learned and used in very different educational, economic, administrative and cultural contexts.
According to the OIF, French is now the 4th most widely spoken language in the world, behind English, Chinese and Spanish, and ahead of standard Arabic. This change in rank is significant, as it reflects a concrete evolution in the place of French on a global scale. This ranking reinforces the idea that French remains a major international language, present in many fields, and that it should no longer be considered as a purely institutional or heritage language.
The growth of the French language can be explained by a number of complementary factors. Firstly, the language benefits from a strong demographic dynamic in several French-speaking countries, particularly in Africa, where the majority of French speakers now live. Secondly, French continues to play an important role in education, international cooperation and certain economic sectors. The OIF also points out that French remains the 2nd most widely-learned foreign language, with almost 170 million learners, showing that it continues to attract people far beyond the territories where it is an official language.
The partnership between CTO and The Travel Foundation marks an important step in the evolution of tourism policies in the Caribbean. At the ITB Berlin 2026 international trade fair, the region’s tourism leaders confirmed that they would strengthen their cooperation to support a more sustainable tourism model, more resilient to climate change and more focused on local communities.
In a region where the economy is heavily dependent on tourism, climate change is no longer an abstract issue. The effects of global warming, the intensification of weather phenomena and the erosion of coastal ecosystems now represent immediate challenges for many island territories. It is against this backdrop that the partnership between CTO and The Travel Foundation takes on a strategic dimension. The objective is clear: to transform climate commitments into concrete actions capable of supporting the economic and social future of Caribbean destinations.
ITB Berlin, a strategic venue for the voice of the Caribbean
Every year, ITB Berlin brings together the world’s key tourism players: ministries, international organizations, airlines, destinations and industry experts. For the Caribbean, this event is an essential platform for recalling a reality that is often underestimated on an international scale: small island states are among the territories most exposed to the effects of climate change.
At a session devoted to the gap between climate risks and adaptation solutions in tourism, the Secretary General and CEO of the Caribbean Tourism Organization, Dona Regis-Prosper, highlighted the region’s real-life experience. The devastating hurricanes that regularly hit the Caribbean, rising sea levels and increasing pressure on marine ecosystems have had a profound impact on the territories. Today, this first-hand experience is a driving force for rethinking the region’s tourism strategies. The partnership between CTO and The Travel Foundation is precisely in line with this dynamic of transformation.
Moving from climate talk to concrete solutions
At the heart of the partnership between CTO and The Travel Foundation lies one overriding conviction: climate strategies must now go beyond declarations of intent. Caribbean destinations already have numerous studies, scientific data and prospective scenarios on climate risks. However, a persistent challenge remains: transforming this information into genuinely funded and operational projects.
This is one of the points raised by Narendra Ramgulam, Deputy Director of Sustainable Tourism at the Caribbean Tourism Organization. According to him, the region has no shortage of ideas and analyses, but the concrete implementation of projects is often hampered by a lack of access to funding. In this context, the partnership between CTO and The Travel Foundation aims to bridge the gap between strategic planning and real action on the ground.
A tourism model focused on local communities
One of the major thrusts of the partnership between CTO and The Travel Foundation concerns the role of local populations in tourism development. In many Caribbean destinations, the economic benefits of tourism sometimes remain concentrated in certain segments of the industry. The new cooperation framework aims to foster a more inclusive approach in which tourism projects generate direct benefits for communities.
This vision also implies a strengthening of local skills in sustainable tourism professions, as well as increased support for economic initiatives that enhance the region’s natural and cultural resources. This approach is in line with a global trend in the tourism sector. Today’s travelers are increasingly interested in responsible, authentic experiences that are closely linked to the realities of the areas they visit.
Caribbean tourism faces structural transformation
The partnership between CTO and The Travel Foundation comes at a pivotal time for the Caribbean tourism industry. Several profound transformations are redefining the future of the sector. The intensification of extreme climatic phenomena, the gradual weakening of coral reefs, the erosion of certain beaches and the evolution of travelers’ expectations in terms of sustainability are gradually changing the balance of regional tourism.
These elements are not just about the environment. They directly influence the tourism experience, the competitiveness of destinations and the livelihoods of many local populations. Against this backdrop, strengthening the resilience of Caribbean tourism is becoming as much an economic priority as an environmental one.
International cooperation to strengthen resilience
The renewal of the partnership between CTO and The Travel Foundation formalizes a strengthened collaboration between two organizations committed to the transformation of global tourism. The Travel Foundation has been working for several years on initiatives to make tourist destinations more sustainable, notably through climate planning, tourism flow management and ecosystem protection.
For its part, the Caribbean Tourism Organization represents the tourism interests of many of the region’s territories and plays a central role in coordinating regional policies. By combining their expertise, the two institutions aim to develop tools and strategies that will enable Caribbean destinations to better anticipate climate risks, while maintaining their attractiveness to tourists.
A regional vision for the future of Caribbean tourism
Beyond technical cooperation, the partnership between CTO and The Travel Foundation is also part of a broader vision: that of a coordinated regional approach to sustainable tourism. The Caribbean shares many common realities. The economies of many territories rely heavily on tourism, the islands remain particularly exposed to climatic risks, and the region boasts an exceptional natural and cultural heritage.
In view of these common characteristics, regional cooperation appears to be an essential lever for developing solutions tailored to the specific characteristics of island destinations. This approach is also in line with the ambitions of the CTO Reimagine Plan, a strategy that aims to reposition Caribbean tourism around sustainability, innovation and resilience.
The Caribbean, a global laboratory for sustainable tourism
Through the partnership between CTO and The Travel Foundation, the Caribbean is also seeking to assert its role in international debates on the future of tourism. The challenges facing the region today could foreshadow those that other tourist destinations will have to face in the coming decades. From this perspective, the Caribbean can become a veritable laboratory of innovation for climate-resilient tourism strategies, sustainable management of island destinations and the integration of communities into the tourism economy.
The stakes involved in the partnership between CTO and The Travel Foundation extend far beyond regional borders. The solutions developed in the Caribbean could inspire other regions of the world facing similar challenges.
The partnership aims to develop concrete strategies to make Caribbean tourism more resilient in the face of climate change, while supporting local communities.
Caribbean destinations have to cope with intensifying hurricanes, beach erosion, coral reef degradation and rising sea levels.
The Caribbean Tourism Organization aims to position the Caribbean as a sustainable destination, capable of reconciling tourism development, ecosystem protection and benefits for local populations.
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.
French Guiana reaches a milestone in 2025. With 167,036 registered tourists 142,000 in 2024, the region’s tourism dynamic is now structural. Behind this growth, the figures unveiled by the French Guiana Tourist Board and the Tourism Observatory reflect much more than a rise in visitor numbers: they point to economic consolidation, diversification of the customer base and the destination’s growing importance in its regional environment.
This development deserves a closer look. Because beyond the statistics, it reveals what Guyana is really becoming in the Caribbean and South American tourism ecosystem.
Measurable growth confirms the region's appeal
The year 2025 ended with 167,036 tourists, a significant increase over 2024. This growth is based on three complementary segments:
- – 92,229 external visitors an increase of 7.5
- – 8,307 cruise passengers
- – 66,500 endogenous tourists i.e. Guyanese who have made at least one tourist trip to the region.
This structure confirms an essential development: tourism in French Guiana no longer relies solely on international visitors. Domestic tourism is now a mainstay of the sector, contributing to economic resilience and year-round visitor numbers.
A tourism economy that generates tangible benefits
Economic benefits will reach 160.6 million euros in 2025 an increase of 7.1%. This figure reflects the direct impact of tourism on the local economy: accommodation, catering, transport, cultural activities and services. Total overnight stays amounted to 1.63 million an increase of 9.3%. This increase shows that the destination is not only attracting more visitors, but is also managing to keep them for longer. The average length of stay remained stable at 17.6 days a particularly high figure for the Caribbean.
For the local economy, this stability means spending spread over time and a better redistribution of income throughout the region.
Consolidating air connectivity
Traffic at Cayenne Félix-Éboué airport reaches 242,055 outbound passengers. This represents a 4% increase on 2024 and a 64% increase on 2021. This increase confirms the return to a high level of mobility after the years marked by health restrictions. Overall air traffic is up by 8,5%. This is a sign of a real intensification of traffic flows. This development reinforces the region’s accessibility and directly supports growth in tourism. It also confirms the airport’s strategic role as the main point of entry.
For tourism professionals, this connectivity is a major lever: it determines the region’s ability to attract new markets and retain existing visitors.
Mainly French customers, but diversifying
Data for 2025 indicate that 60.1% of external visitors come from mainland France. This is still the mainstay of Guyanese tourism, which has historically been linked to travel between French Guiana and mainland France. However, one trend has been confirmed: Caribbean customers are on the rise. The Martinique market, in particular, is experiencing significant growth, driven by an increase in leisure tourism. This dynamic opens up important regional prospects, particularly in terms of tourism cooperation and intra-Caribbean mobility.
The challenge now is to raise its profile in the Caribbean region while consolidating its traditional customer base.
Reasons for staying in French Guiana reflect the region's positioning
The dominant reasons for staying are still :
- – Professionals: 36.3
- – Affinity: 35.7
This structure distinguishes French Guiana from many other Caribbean destinations, which are mainly oriented towards beach tourism. The territory retains a strong professional and institutional dimension, linked in particular to the Guiana Space Center and administrative activities.
However, leisure tourism is on the increase, supported by rising consumer spending and greater appreciation of the region’s natural and cultural assets. This trend reflects a gradual repositioning towards a destination of discovery, complementary to other Caribbean territories.
Exceptional levels of satisfaction
Visitor satisfaction rate reaches 98,7% confirming the quality of the experience on offer. This very high level of satisfaction is a strategic indicator: it promotes word-of-mouth, feedback and the destination’s international reputation. For industry players, this satisfaction is based on several elements: the welcome, the cultural richness, the diversity of landscapes and the authenticity of the Guyanese experience. It also represents a competitive advantage in a regional context where destinations are seeking to differentiate themselves.
What these results mean for French Guiana and the Caribbean
Progress in tourism is not limited to internal improvements. It is gradually redefining the area’s place in the region.
For French Guiana, these results confirm the relevance of the strategies undertaken: developing the offer, strengthening partnerships, targeted promotion and improving customer knowledge. They also provide a solid foundation to guide future investments. On a Caribbean scale, the rise of French Guiana is helping to diversify the regional offer. It offers a complementary alternative to traditional seaside destinations, focusing on nature, culture and immersive experiences.
2025, a pivotal year for Guyanese tourism
The year 2025 marks a phase of consolidation. Indicators confirm real growth, underpinned by rising visitor numbers, increased economic spin-offs and a high level of satisfaction. In 2026, the Guiana Tourism Board intends to continue its promotional activities and its support for industry players. The objective is clear: to transform this growth into a sustainable dynamic, capable of boosting the region’s appeal over the long term.
With its now solid foundations, French Guiana is asserting itself as a destination in the process of structuring itself, whose development deserves particular attention in the years to come, both for the territory itself and for the Caribbean as a whole.
French Guiana recorded 167,035 tourists in 2025, compared with 142,000 in 2024. This increase confirms solid, sustainable growth in the region’s tourist numbers.
The economic impact of tourism in French Guiana reached 160.6 million euros in 2025, an increase of over 7%. The sector has a direct impact on accommodation, catering, transport and cultural activities.
By 2025, 60.1% of outbound visitors will be from mainland France. Caribbean customers are also on the rise, particularly from Martinique, a sign of growing regional interest in Guiana as a destination.
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.
Every February 19th, International Whale Day invites us to celebrate these emblematic marine mammals and reflect on their essential role in the health of the oceans. In the Caribbean, International Whale Day resonates with particular intensity: here, the turquoise waters become the scene of a natural ballet that attracts visitors from all over the world, combining wonder, environmental commitment and responsible tourism.
This region is no longer just a migratory stopover for humpback whales. It has become, for curious travelers and nature enthusiasts, a must-see destination for a unique cetacean-watching experience.
A well-established migration season, already active in 2025
The annual migration of humpback whales to the warm waters of the Caribbean continues to be a major seasonal phenomenon. Scientists and local observers confirm that the first individuals are seen as early as January, and that their presence intensifies throughout the following months. This spectacular migration, visible from the waters off Guadeloupe to the protected marine areas of the Dominican Republic, offers a prime viewing window for visitors between December and April, with peak activity often recorded around February and March – precisely when the Caribbean celebrates International Whale Day.
For travellers, these months represent the ideal time to combine vacations, the discovery of marine biodiversity and responsible tourism.
The Caribbean in the global cetacean ecosystem
The Caribbean region is home to a wide variety of cetaceans: whales, sperm whales and dolphins frequent these rich waters at different times of the year. According to the data collected, several species of mysticetes (baleen whales) and odontocetes (toothed whales and dolphins) are present, some permanently, others in transit.
This diversity enriches the observation experience and makes the Caribbean a global world crossroads for the study and conservation of marine mammals. It also offers visitors the chance to see different species on the same expedition.
A real and growing impact on tourism (2024-2025)
Although figures on whale-watching tourism in the Caribbean are still fragmentary, it is undeniable that this activity attracts a significant number of foreign visitors each season. In some of the region’s cruise ports, for example, over 375,000 passengers are expected during the 2024-2025 season, reflecting the strength of the island’s tourism sector as a whole.
If we take into account that whale watching is often integrated into these maritime experiences (excursions, nature stopovers, marine safaris), this shows the extent to which cetaceans have become a strong attraction in the Caribbean tourism offer.
In the most famous areas, such as Samaná Bay in the Dominican Republic, whale-watching activity is already recognized as one of the most important in the region. Dozens if not hundreds of individuals are identified each season, reflecting the importance of this marine area for the breeding and rearing of young whales.
Biodiversity as an attraction
What sets the Caribbean experience apart is the combination of natural spectacle and exceptional biodiversity. Unlike purely visual marine safaris, whale-watching trips here take place in a rich ecological context where different types of cetaceans co-exist: humpback whales, sperm whales and dolphin species, each with their own unique behaviors.
Passionate travelers have the opportunity not only to see these animals, but also to learn more about their life cycles, underwater songs and migration strategies – a scientific and educational dimension that simply transforms “observing” into “understanding”.
Exceptional observation hotspots
The Caribbean boasts several remarkable observation sites:
- – Samaná Bay (Dominican Republic): renowned for hosting numerous humpback whales during their breeding and calving periods.
- – The coasts of Guadeloupe particularly around the islands of Les Saintes and Marie-Galante, offer excellent conditions for watching spectacular whale jumps.
- – Silver Bank (off the coast of the Dominican Republic): a marine sanctuary where you can sometimes enjoy more immersive experiences.
- – French departments of America (Guadeloupe, Martinique) part of the Agoa sanctuary, which protects over 143,000 km² dedicated to marine mammals.
Responsible tourism: challenges and best practices
The growth of whale-watching tourism is not without its challenges. It involves a shared responsibility between tourism operators, local authorities and the travellers themselves. In many areas, ethical approach protocols have been adopted to minimize stress on the animals. These include respectful approach distances, speed limits at sea, controlled observation times, and a ban on swimming with whales without strict scientific supervision.
For travelers, choosing certified service providers committed to conservation has become a marker of quality experience. It’s also a concrete way of supporting sustainable tourism: by respecting the rules, you protect the animals while promoting responsible economic activity that benefits local communities.
An unforgettable human and ecological experience
International Whale Day is a reminder that these species are both jewels of biodiversity and vectors of connection between man and nature. For tourists visiting the Caribbean, whale watching is an encounter with an ancient animal intelligence, an immersion in a unique migratory cycle and an awareness of the importance of preserving these marine giants.
Witnessing these encounters, whether it’s a whale calf playing on the surface or a mother accompanying her calf, is rarely an indifferent experience. And for those with a passion for the Caribbean, the experience becomes a must. source of inspiration and commitment to protecting the oceans.
A call to action as conscious travelers
On International Whale Day, the Caribbean reminds us that it’s not just a postcard destination: it’s a living hub of marine biodiversity, where natural beauty meets environmental responsibility. For travelers and enthusiasts alike, International Whale Day is an invitation to enjoy authentic, informed and respectful experiences, enriching not only their stay but also their understanding of the marine world around us.
Every whale-watching excursion can become a moment of sharing, knowledge and respect, a personal contribution to the preservation of these giants of the sea, today and for future generations.
International Whale Day coincides with the peak migration season of humpback whales to the warm waters of the Caribbean. This makes the region a major breeding and whale-watching site, reinforcing its role in the preservation of marine biodiversity and the development of sustainable tourism.
The whale-watching season generally runs from December to April, with a peak between February and March. It is during this period that humpback whales calve in Caribbean waters, offering visitors ideal viewing conditions.
Yes, when governed by strict rules. Many Caribbean territories apply regulated approach protocols: minimum distance, limited number of boats, controlled speed and operator training. Choosing a certified service provider is essential to guarantee a responsible and sustainable experience.
