By Joey Bartlett
French Guiana officially became the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) eighth associate member after signing an agreement formalising its new status. It is a move expected to deepen cooperation with the region in areas including trade, transportation, public health and environmental protection.
The agreement was signed on Monday ahead of the opening of the 51st Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in Saint Lucia by CARICOM chairman and Saint Lucia Prime Minister Philip J Pierre and president of the Territorial Collectivity of French Guiana Gabriel Serville.
Following the ceremony, French Guiana took its place among regional leaders attending the summit in its new capacity.
Its admission expands CARICOM’s list of associate members to eight, joining Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, the Turks and Caicos Islands and Martinique.
Although French Guiana has worked with CARICOM for years through regional projects and discussions, this is the first time it has been granted formal membership in the organisation. The territory has collaborated with neighbouring Caribbean countries on initiatives involving trade, transportation, health and environmental management, with France also supporting closer regional ties.
French Guiana cannot become a full CARICOM member because it is not an independent country. It is an overseas department and region of France, making it legally part of both France and the European Union.
CARICOM’s full membership is reserved for sovereign Caribbean states, with Montserrat remaining the only British Overseas Territory granted full membership.
As an associate member, French Guiana will be able to participate more fully in CARICOM’s work and strengthen cooperation with member states, although it will not have the same rights and responsibilities as full members.
The territory follows Martinique, which became CARICOM’s first French associate member in 2024, reflecting the Community’s efforts to strengthen partnerships with French territories in the Caribbean while maintaining its existing membership framework.
Established by the Treaty of Chaguaramas in 1973, CARICOM was created to promote economic integration and functional cooperation among Caribbean countries. Its work has since expanded to include issues such as regional security, climate resilience, disaster management, education, health and food security.
French Guiana’s strategic location on the South American mainland, bordering Brazil and Suriname, gives it an important role in strengthening links between the Caribbean and the Guiana Shield.
Home to about 300,000 people, the territory also hosts the Guiana Space Centre, Europe’s primary spaceport, and vast areas of Amazon rainforest, making environmental cooperation another area of shared interest with CARICOM member states.
