WELCOME TO
2nd EU-CARIBBEAN
GLOBAL GATEWAY CONFERENCE
ON SARGASSUM
Turning the Tide: Sustainable Practices and Economic
Opportunities for Sargassum in the Caribbean Basin
01 - 02 October 2024
Radisson Grenada Beach Resort
Grand Anse, Grenada
Grand Anse, Grenada
CONTEXT
For more than a decade, massive annual influxes of sargassum onto the coastline of countries within the wider Caribbean Basin have been a major challenge. Current management efforts have placed a significant fiscal burden on national governments, negatively affected key economic sectors and raised public health concerns. These factors have catalyzed countries and development partners to identify innovative responses and suitable solutions to meet the scale of the challenge. Concurrently, there is a growing consensus of the need to rethink the approach to sargassum management through exploration of valorization pathways and commercial applications, in which sargassum can be used as a natural resource.
The European Union (EU) advanced critical discussions on ongoing efforts and actions during the first EU-LAC regional meeting in Santo Domingo in 2023. Building on its recommendations, the EU in partnership with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission convenes the 2nd EU-Caribbean Global Gateway Sargassum Conference. Under the auspices of the Prime Minister of Grenada, Hon. Dickon Mitchell and the Director General of the OECS, Mr. Didacus Jules, this 2-day event aims at bringing together governments, regional organisations, industry, academia, and financing institutions to stimulate political discussion, take stock of the progress around sargassum valorisation, and determine actions towards building sustainable value chains.
CONTINUED EFFORTS AND PARTNERSHIPS
This conference is a key initiative under EU- LAC Global Gateway Investment Agenda (GGIA). The GGIA seeks to enhance investment in the Caribbean, with sargassum as one of the priorities in which to foster public-private collaboration focusing on: research & innovation; enabling environment and transformation. The event builds on the work of the OECS Member States and Commission towards the creation of effective strategies for managing sargassum, which aligns environmental sustainability with economic growth. This collaboration is strengthened through the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF) and the support of Agence Française de Développement (AFD).
The European Union (EU) advanced critical discussions on ongoing efforts and actions during the first EU-LAC regional meeting in Santo Domingo in 2023. Building on its recommendations, the EU in partnership with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission convenes the 2nd EU-Caribbean Global Gateway Sargassum Conference. Under the auspices of the Prime Minister of Grenada, Hon. Dickon Mitchell and the Director General of the OECS, Mr. Didacus Jules, this 2-day event aims at bringing together governments, regional organisations, industry, academia, and financing institutions to stimulate political discussion, take stock of the progress around sargassum valorisation, and determine actions towards building sustainable value chains.
CONTINUED EFFORTS AND PARTNERSHIPS
This conference is a key initiative under EU- LAC Global Gateway Investment Agenda (GGIA). The GGIA seeks to enhance investment in the Caribbean, with sargassum as one of the priorities in which to foster public-private collaboration focusing on: research & innovation; enabling environment and transformation. The event builds on the work of the OECS Member States and Commission towards the creation of effective strategies for managing sargassum, which aligns environmental sustainability with economic growth. This collaboration is strengthened through the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF) and the support of Agence Française de Développement (AFD).