In a landmark presentation at the 49th Meeting of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission on April 30, 2026, Saint-Martin has put forward a bold proposal to unify the Caribbean’s fragmented film and audiovisual sectors through the establishment of a specialized regional knowledge network. The initiative, which is backed by Saint-Martin President Louis Mussington and First Vice President Alain Richardson, was laid out to assembled OECS commissioners by Saint-Martin’s representative Cyrielle Cuirassier.
Drawing on latest data from three leading United Nations agencies – UNESCO, the World Intellectual Property Organization, and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development – Cuirassier highlighted the rapidly expanding global footprint of cultural and creative industries. She underscored that the creative sector has outpaced long-standing traditional industries including automotive manufacturing and pharmaceuticals in annual growth, both on a global scale and within France, setting the context for the Caribbean region to capture similar economic gains.
“The Caribbean holds unmatched cultural richness and untapped creative potential,” Cuirassier told the full commission. “Film and audiovisual production are powerful catalysts for inclusive economic growth, local job creation, and the strengthening of regional cultural identity. Now is the moment for our bloc to build a coordinated institutional structure that allows us to unlock the full value of this opportunity.”
As part of the proposal, Cuirassier called for an initial regional benchmarking assessment to map existing production resources, institutional governance frameworks, and key industry stakeholders across all OECS member territories. To kick off the collaborative process, she asked attending commissioners to share dedicated institutional contacts, laying the groundwork for future broad consultations on the plan.
Cuirassier also held bilateral discussions with OECS Director General Didacus Jules and his senior leadership team, connecting the new proposal to the organization’s existing creative industries study completed in August 2025. She clarified that Saint-Martin’s targeted initiative, focused exclusively on film and audiovisual work, is designed to complement rather than replace the broader creative economy agenda already being advanced by the OECS.
For Saint-Martin, which gained official Associate Member status in the OECS just over a year ago in March 2025, the proposal is a core component of a wider strategic push to establish the territory as a leading regional hub for film and audiovisual production. According to the joint press release announcing the plan, the initiative will evolve into a formal network cooperation agreement, which will be tabled through official OECS institutional channels following consultations with interested member states. The presentation at the commission meeting also served to reaffirm Saint-Martin’s commitment to active regional engagement, developing cross-border projects that deliver shared economic and cultural benefits across the entire Caribbean.
Addressing the longstanding challenge of limited regional scale, Cuirassier emphasized: “Individually, Caribbean creative industries do not have the critical mass required to compete effectively in the global marketplace. Working together, we can reverse that reality, and the OECS provides the natural institutional framework to turn this vision into action.”
The 49th OECS Commission Meeting brought together Director General Dr. Jules, senior OECS leadership, and ambassador-level commissioners from all member governments. The session followed the 3rd Meeting of OECS Associate Members held on March 31, 2026, which Cuirassier also attended as part of Saint-Martin’s delegation.