Review of the “Expertise in the Caribbean” Forum

The forum was opened by the President of the Region, Mr. Ary Chalus, the Chief Executive Officer of Expertise France, Mr. Sébastien Mosneron Dupin, and the Ambassador for Regional Cooperation, Mr. Jean-Bernard Nilam. It attracted over a hundred participants from Guadeloupe, Martinique, French Guiana and St Martin from a wide range of backgrounds: elected officials, officials from the administration, public operators, private sector, consultants…

The Chief Executive Officer of Expertise France highlighted the importance of the regional market: “The technical assistance market in the Caribbean is estimated at over EUR 200 million a year. It is captured by experts from all over the world, whereas in the French West Indies and French Guiana, we have competent human resources which match demand”.

The opening of the forum was followed by the signing of a cooperation agreement between Guadeloupe and Expertise France, formalising the partnership established between the two institutions several months previously. The agreement aims to develop an operational capacity to promote Guadeloupe’s skills and expertise in third countries in the regional environment.

The challenge taken up with support from Expertise France is to give expertise from the territories of the French West Indies and French Guiana the opportunity of entering the Caribbean technical assistance market. This approach benefits from support from the Ministry of Overseas France, which announced the forthcoming signing of a financing agreement with Expertise France to support the development of the initiative in all the territories of the French West Indies and French Guiana.