Martinique has formally become an Associate Member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), effective 16 June, after France’s Instrument of Accession brought the Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of CARICOM into force.
CARICOM said the accession followed the signing of an agreement in February 2025 granting Martinique associate membership, with the Instrument of Accession received from the Government of the French Republic in June 2026.
Martinique’s new status paves the way for its participation in the 51st Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, being held from 5-8 July in Saint Lucia.
CARICOM was established on 4 July 1973 with the signing of the Treaty of Chaguaramas, which was revised in 2001 to allow for the establishment of a single market and economy.
The bloc comprises fifteen Member States and six Associate Members and is home to approximately sixteen million citizens, 60 per cent of whom are under 30.
CARICOM’s work rests on four main pillars: economic integration, foreign policy coordination, human and social development, and security cooperation.
