Martinique has formally become an Associate Member of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), bringing the bloc's total number of associate members to seven, according to Antigua News Room.
The membership was made possible following a multi-step process that began with the signing of the Agreement granting Associate Membership to Martinique in February 2025. CARICOM subsequently received the Instrument of Accession from the Government of the French Republic in June 2026, facilitating the entry into force of the Agreement on the Privileges and Immunities of CARICOM.
Martinique's associate membership took effect on 16 June 2026, paving the way for the French Caribbean territory to participate in the Fifty-first Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of CARICOM, scheduled for 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 Community comprises fifteen full Member States and now six Associate Members, and is home to approximately sixteen million citizens, 60 percent of whom are under 30 years of age.
CARICOM's work rests on four main pillars: economic integration; foreign policy coordination; human and social development; and security cooperation. Member states work collectively toward a community that is integrated, inclusive, and resilient — one driven by knowledge, excellence, innovation, and productivity, where every citizen has the opportunity to realise their potential with guaranteed human rights and social justice.
The CARICOM Secretariat, the principal administrative organ of the Community, is headquartered in Georgetown, Guyana.
