Overseas Countries and Territories Association

Overseas Countries and Territories Association^[1]
Association des pays et territoires d’outre-mer de l’Union européenne
Abbreviation	OCTA
Formation	17 November 2000; 25 years ago
Type	International organization
Headquarters	Brussels, Belgium
Region served	Special member state territories of the EU
Members	13
Official language	English, French
Chairman	Louis Mapou
Website	Overseas-Association.eu/

Overseas Countries and Territories Association (OCTA; French: Association des pays et territoires d'outre-mer de l'Union européenne, PTOM)^[2]^[1] is an international organization 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 the 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]

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

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:

Reuben Meade, Premier of Montserrat (1 January – 31 December 2011)
Kuupik Kleist, Prime Minister of Greenland (1 January – 31 December 2012)
Stéphane Artano, President of the Territorial Council of Saint Pierre and Miquelon (1 January – 31 December 2013)
Orlando Smith, Premier of British Virgin Islands (1 January 2014 – 26 February 2015)
Ivar Asjes, Prime Minister of Curaçao (26 February 2015 – 31 August 2015)
Bernard Whiteman, Prime Minister of Curaçao (31 August 2015 – 25 February 2016)
Michiel Godfried Eman, Prime Minister of Aruba (25 February 2016 – 23 February 2017)
Sharlene Cartwright Robinson, Premier of the Turks and Caicos Islands (23 February 2017 – 22 February 2018)
Édouard Fritch, President of French Polynesia (22 February 2018 – 27 February 2019)
Eugene Rhuggenaath, Prime Minister of Curaçao (27 February 2019 – 8 December 2020)^[8]
Thierry Santa, President of New Caledonia (8 December 2020 – 22 July 2021)^[9]
Louis Mapou, President of New Caledonia (since 22 July 2021)^[10]

OCTA members

The members of OCTA are:^[5]

Member	Location	Status
Aruba	Caribbean	Constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Bonaire	Caribbean	Special municipality of the Netherlands
Curaçao	Caribbean	Constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
French Polynesia	Pacific Ocean	Overseas country of France
French Southern and Antarctic Lands	Indian Ocean and Antarctica	Overseas territory of France
Greenland	North America and Arctic	Autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark
New Caledonia	Pacific Ocean	Special collectivity of France
Saba	Caribbean	Special municipality of the Netherlands
Saint Barthélemy	Caribbean	Overseas collectivity of France
Sint Eustatius	Caribbean	Special municipality of the Netherlands
Saint Pierre and Miquelon	North America	Overseas collectivity of France
Sint Maarten	Caribbean	Constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Wallis and Futuna	Pacific Ocean	Overseas collectivity of France

Former members

Member	Location	Status
Anguilla	Caribbean	British Overseas Territory
Bermuda	Atlantic Ocean	British Overseas Territory
British Virgin Islands	Caribbean	British Overseas Territory
Cayman Islands	Caribbean	British Overseas Territory
Falkland Islands	Atlantic Ocean	British Overseas Territory
Mayotte	Indian Ocean	Overseas department of France (former overseas collectivity)
Montserrat	Caribbean	British Overseas Territory
Pitcairn Islands	Pacific Ocean	British Overseas Territory
Saint Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha	Atlantic Ocean	British Overseas Territory
Turks and Caicos Islands	Caribbean	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]

September 2002 – Brussels (Belgium)
December 2003 – Brussels (Belgium)
March 2005 – Papeete (French Polynesia)
December 2005 – Brussels (Belgium)
September 2006 – Nuuk (Greenland)
November 2007 – Brussels (Belgium)
November 2008 – George Town (Cayman Islands)
March 2010 – Brussels (Belgium)
March 2011 – Nouméa (New Caledonia)
January 2012 – Brussels (Belgium)
September 2012 – Ilulissat (Greenland)
December 2013 – Brussels (Belgium)
February 2015 – Road Town (British Virgin Islands)
February 2016 – Brussels (Belgium)
February 2017 – Oranjestad (Aruba)
February 2018 – Brussels (Belgium)
February 2019 – Tahiti (French Polynesia)
December 2020 – online
November 2022 - Nouméa (New Caledonia)
February 2024 - Brussels (Belgium)

References

1 2 Staff writer (2024). "Association of Overseas Countries and Territories of the European Union (OCTA)". UIA Global Civil Society Database. uia.org. Brussels, Belgium: Union of International Associations. Yearbook of International Organizations Online. Retrieved 29 January 2025.
↑ "Les PTOM". www.octassociation.org. Retrieved 2018-03-12.
↑ "OCTs". Overseas Countries and Territories Association. Retrieved 2021-09-17.
↑ 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.
1 2 "OCTA Presentation". Overseas Countries and Territories Association. Archived from the original on 27 October 2017. Retrieved 2021-09-17.
↑ "About the Overseas Countries and Territories Association". OCTA. Retrieved 2022-07-25.
↑ "Former Chairs". octassociation.org. Archived from the original on 22 September 2020.
↑ "Current Chair - Curaçao". octassociation.org. Archived from the original on 29 December 2019.
↑ "OCTA Ministerial Conference 2020". OCTA. 8 December 2020. Retrieved 2022-07-25.
↑ "Louis Mapou : New OCTA Chair". OCTA. 20 July 2021. Retrieved 2022-07-25.
↑ "Political dialogue EU–OCT–MS – Annual Forum". octassociation.org. Archived from the original on 2018-08-26. Retrieved 2019-01-08.

External links

Official website
Founding document (27 November 2001) Archived 2 January 2014 at the Wayback Machine

[UIA-1] 1 2 Staff writer (2024). "Association of Overseas Countries and Territories of the European Union (OCTA)". UIA Global Civil Society Database. uia.org. Brussels, Belgium: Union of International Associations. Yearbook of International Organizations Online. Retrieved 29 January 2025.

[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.

[OCTA-5] 1 2 "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. Archived from the original on 2018-08-26. Retrieved 2019-01-08.

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