Overseas Countries and Territories Association

Overseas Countries and Territories Association (OCTA; French: Association des pays et territoires d'outre-mer de l'Union européenne, PTOM[2]) is an international organisation founded on 17 November 2000 during the conference of prime ministers of overseas countries and territories in Brussels, Belgium. It includes almost all special member state territories of European Union whose purpose is to improve economic development in overseas countries and territories and cooperation with the European Union. It currently has 13 members.[3] On 25 June 2008, a Cooperation Treaty between the EU and OCTA was signed in Brussels.[4]

Overseas Countries and Territories Association
Association des pays et territoires d’outre-mer de l’Union européenne
AbbreviationOCTA
Formation17 November 2000 (2000-11-17)
TypeInternational organization
PurposeEconomic and social cooperation[1]
HeadquartersBrussels, Belgium
Region
Special member state territories of EU
Membership
13
Official language
English, French
Chairman
New Caledonia Louis Mapou
Websitewww.overseas-association.eu

Prior to Brexit, until 31 January 2020, there had been 22 Overseas Countries and Territories associated with the European Union and members of OCTA.[5]

Chairmen
Édouard Fritch, President of French Polynesia and the OCTA Chairman in 2018.

Since 2011, the chairmen are chosen annually and their function is to head the organization and elect an Executive Committee. The current[6] and previous[7] chairmen are:

OCTA members

The members of OCTA are:[5]

MemberLocationStatus
 ArubaCaribbeanKingdom of the Netherlands Constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
 BonaireCaribbeanNetherlands Special municipality of the Netherlands
 CuraçaoCaribbeanKingdom of the Netherlands Constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
 French PolynesiaPacific OceanFrance Overseas country of France
 French Southern and Antarctic LandsIndian Ocean and AntarcticaFrance Overseas territory of France
 GreenlandNorth America and ArcticDanish Realm Autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark
 New CaledoniaPacific OceanFrance Special collectivity of France
 SabaCaribbeanNetherlands Special municipality of the Netherlands
 Saint BarthélemyCaribbeanFrance Overseas collectivity of France
 Sint EustatiusCaribbeanNetherlands Special municipality of the Netherlands
 Saint Pierre and MiquelonNorth AmericaFrance Overseas collectivity of France
 Sint MaartenCaribbeanKingdom of the Netherlands Constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
 Wallis and FutunaPacific OceanFrance Overseas collectivity of France

Former members
MemberLocationStatus
 AnguillaCaribbeanUnited Kingdom British Overseas Territory
 BermudaAtlantic OceanUnited Kingdom British Overseas Territory
 British Virgin IslandsCaribbeanUnited Kingdom British Overseas Territory
 Cayman IslandsCaribbeanUnited Kingdom British Overseas Territory
 Falkland IslandsAtlantic OceanUnited Kingdom British Overseas Territory
 MontserratCaribbeanUnited Kingdom British Overseas Territory
 Pitcairn IslandsPacific OceanUnited Kingdom British Overseas Territory
 Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da CunhaAtlantic OceanUnited Kingdom British Overseas Territory
 Turks and Caicos IslandsCaribbeanUnited Kingdom British Overseas Territory

Political dialogue between EU, OCTA, and EU member states

The forum between OCTs, European Union and its member states to which OCTs are linked, has been held annually since 2003 alternating between Brussels (Belgium) and an OCT:[11]

  1. September 2002 – Brussels (Belgium)
  2. December 2003 – Brussels (Belgium)
  3. March 2005 – Papeete (French Polynesia)
  4. December 2005 – Brussels (Belgium)
  5. September 2006 – Nuuk (Greenland)
  6. November 2007 – Brussels (Belgium)
  7. November 2008 – George Town (Cayman Islands)
  8. March 2010 – Brussels (Belgium)
  9. March 2011 – Nouméa (New Caledonia)
  10. January 2012 – Brussels (Belgium)
  11. September 2012 – Ilulissat (Greenland)
  12. December 2013 – Brussels (Belgium)
  13. February 2015 – Road Town (British Virgin Islands)
  14. February 2016 – Brussels (Belgium)
  15. February 2017 – Oranjestad (Aruba)
  16. February 2018 – Brussels (Belgium)
  17. February 2019 – Tahiti (French Polynesia)
  18. December 2020 – online

See also

References
  1. "Overseas Countries and Territories Association of the European Union – Vision". weadapt.org. 10 April 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  2. "Les PTOM". www.octassociation.org. Retrieved 2018-03-12.
  3. "OCTs". Overseas Countries and Territories Association. Retrieved 2021-09-17.
  4. Future relations between the EU and the Overseas Countries and Territories (PDF). Brussels: Commission of the European Commities. 25 May 2008. p. 17. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 November 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  5. "OCTA Presentation". Overseas Countries and Territories Association. Archived from the original on 27 October 2017. Retrieved 2021-09-17.
  6. "About the Overseas Countries and Territories Association". OCTA. Retrieved 2022-07-25.
  7. "Former Chairs". octassociation.org. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020.
  8. "Current Chair - Curaçao". octassociation.org. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019.
  9. "OCTA Ministerial Conference 2020". OCTA. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 2022-07-25.
  10. "Louis Mapou : New OCTA Chair". OCTA. 20 July 2021. Retrieved 2022-07-25.
  11. "Political dialogue EU–OCT–MS – Annual Forum". octassociation.org. Retrieved 2019-01-08.
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