Martinique can now become a CARICOM Associate member

Last Updated on Friday, 17 April 2026, 12:42 by Denis Chabrol

France has cleared the way fully for its overseas department of Martinique and other French Caribbean territories to join the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) as Associate Members,  the French Embassy here said Friday.

France’s Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Mr Jean-Noël Barrot, and the Minister for Overseas Territories, Mrs Naïma Moutchou, welcome the National Assembly’s approval, on 16 April 2026, of the agreement on accession to the Protocol on the Privileges and Immunities of CARICOM.

Following the Senate’s vote last January, Parliament has now authorised the final approval of this agreement within a tight timeframe.

The French Embassy says this marks a major step forward in strengthening relations between France and CARICOM, as well as in furthering the regional integration of French overseas communities in the Americas. This agreement allows the Territorial Collectivity of Martinique to join as an associate member, in accordance with the agreement signed on 20 February 2025 in Bridgetown (Barbados). It also paves the way for the other territorial collectivities of the Antilles-Guyana region to join as associate members.

The French Embassy says the State has fully rallied behind the Territorial Collectivity of Martinique to support this complex legal process, which involves the interplay between domestic law, European Union law and CARICOM’s own rules. This development now opens up concrete prospects: Martinique, along with other territories that might join CARICOM as associate members, will be able to participate in the work of the organisation and its agencies, gain access to more comprehensive information on regional developments, and strengthen their capacity to take action within their immediate geographical environment. This involvement will thus complement the existing engagement of French communities in the Americas within regional Caribbean organisations, notably the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and the Association of Caribbean States (ACS).

The Embassy says this development forms part of France’s ambitious policy aimed at strengthening the regional integration of its overseas territories, with a view to promoting their economic development, resilience and influence. This strategic direction, first set out at the 2023 Interministerial Committee for Overseas Territories (Comité interministériel des outre-mer or ‘’CIOM’’), was reaffirmed at the 2025 CIOM.

France says it will continue to work alongside French overseas communities to support their regional integration, for the benefit of the regions and the French people in overseas territories.

The other French territories in the Antilles Guyana region include French St Martin, Guadeloupe and French Guiana.