AGP Executive Report

Macron-Carney Sovereignty Push: French President Emmanuel Macron and Canadian PM Mark Carney will visit Saint-Pierre-and-Miquelon on Sept 19-21 (Carney on Sept 20) to reaffirm “freedom, democracy, the rule of law” and respect for national sovereignty after Donald Trump’s social-media map colored parts of the Caribbean and French overseas territories, including Guadeloupe, in US colors. EU Outer Regions Strategy: Brussels unveiled a new EU strategy for outermost regions—explicitly naming Guadeloupe and French Guiana among others—aimed at adapting EU rules to local realities and boosting competitiveness, resilience, and access to the single market. Deforestation Regulation Twist: The European Commission also proposed removing French Guiana from the scope of the EU Deforestation Regulation via a special procedure, citing enforcement challenges and geography—an issue that could shape how EU rules hit Caribbean producers. Route du Rhum Focus: Route du Rhum–Destination Guadeloupe coverage highlights Class40 as the biggest, most open fleet, with 49 skippers set for a highly competitive race. Sargassum Watch: New reporting warns that sargassum outbreaks are both an environmental and public-health problem across the Caribbean, with impacts on tourism, fishing, and coastal workers.

EU Outermost-Regions Push: The European Commission unveiled a new strategy and regulatory package for EU outermost regions including Guadeloupe, aiming to adapt rules to local constraints and boost competitiveness, resilience, and social equity. Deforestation Regulation Twist: Brussels also proposed removing French Guiana from the territorial scope of the EU Deforestation Regulation, citing enforcement challenges and “exceptional geography,” while keeping compliance for goods shipped to the rest of the EU. Sport Governance Appointment: Former FIFA official Kenny Jean-Marie joined the African Collaborations Group advisory board, bringing experience from FIFA’s development and governance programmes. Route du Rhum Spotlight: Class40 is set to be the biggest fleet at the Route du Rhum–Destination Guadeloupe, with 49 skippers and a wide mix of amateurs and pros competing for a successor to Yoann Richomme. Caribbean Tourism Calendar: Explora Journeys announced a 2026-27 Caribbean season running mid-October 2026 through March 2027 on two ships, with Guadeloupe listed among destinations.

Route du Rhum – Guadeloupe Focus: The Class40 fleet is set to be the biggest and most open division again, with 49 solo skippers mixing amateurs and pros on 40-foot boats built to handle Atlantic autumn conditions and race to Guadeloupe, with this year’s victory wide open after Yoann Richomme’s recent wins. Caribbean Tourism & Ports: Explora Journeys is rolling out a 2026-27 Caribbean season across two ships—Explora I from Miami (from Nov 17, 2026) and Explora II from Québec City (from Oct 15, 2026)—with stops including Guadeloupe and other Eastern Caribbean highlights. EU Outer Regions Policy: Brussels unveiled a new strategy and regulatory package for EU outermost regions, explicitly naming Guadeloupe and French Guiana, aiming to adapt EU rules to local constraints and boost competitiveness, resilience, and access to the single market. Deforestation Rules Twist for French Guiana: The European Commission also proposes removing French Guiana from the scope of the EU Deforestation Regulation via a special procedure, citing enforcement challenges and geography—while products shipped to the rest of the EU would still need to comply. Sport Governance Appointment: Former FIFA Chief Member Associations Officer Kenny Jean-Marie has joined the African Collaborations Group advisory board, bringing experience in sport governance and large-scale infrastructure development.

EU Outermost-Regions Push: The European Commission unveiled a new strategy and regulatory package for the EU’s outermost regions—explicitly including Guadeloupe—aiming to adapt EU rules to local realities and boost competitiveness, resilience, connectivity, and access to housing, healthcare, and education. Deforestation Law Twist: Brussels also proposed removing French Guiana from the territorial scope of the EU Deforestation Regulation, arguing for tailored treatment under the EU treaty’s outermost-regions clause—while keeping compliance for goods shipped from the region to the rest of the EU. Guadeloupe in the Spotlight via Tourism: Explora Journeys announced a 2026-27 Caribbean season on two ships, with Guadeloupe listed among destinations, as the company markets “one smooth Journey” across multiple islands. Route du Rhum Outlook: Ahead of the Route du Rhum—Destination Guadeloupe, coverage highlights the Class40 fleet as the biggest division, with 49 skippers set to race solo across the Atlantic to Guadeloupe. Sports Governance Link: Former FIFA official Kenny Jean-Marie has joined the African Collaborations Group advisory board, bringing experience from FIFA’s member-association programmes and infrastructure support.

EU Outer Regions Strategy: The European Commission unveiled a new strategic vision and regulatory package for the EU’s outermost regions, explicitly naming Guadeloupe and French Guiana alongside Martinique, Mayotte, Réunion, Saint-Martin and other Atlantic islands, aiming to adapt EU rules to local realities and boost competitiveness, resilience, connectivity, and access to housing, healthcare and education. Deforestation Regulation Twist: Brussels also proposed a targeted change to the EU Deforestation Regulation that would remove French Guiana from the regulation’s territorial scope via a special procedure, citing enforcement challenges from porous borders and arguing for tailored treatment under the EU treaty’s outermost-region clause. Sargassum Pressure on Coasts: A new report highlights the growing sargassum “superbloom” across the Caribbean and beyond, warning of health impacts for workers clearing beaches and knock-on damage to tourism and fishing—an issue that directly hits island coastal economies like Guadeloupe. Sport Governance Link-Up: Former FIFA Chief Member Associations Officer Kenny Jean-Marie joined the Advisory Board of African Collaborations Group (ACG), a move that signals continued investment in sport governance and large-scale sport infrastructure planning across Africa. Caribbean Cruise Access: Cruise lines are expanding Southern Caribbean itineraries for 2026–27, making rarer ports easier to reach without long repositioning sailings—good news for regional tourism planning.

EU Outermost Regions Strategy: The European Commission has adopted a new strategic vision for the EU’s outermost regions, explicitly including Guadeloupe and French territories across the Atlantic and beyond, with a regulatory package aimed at adapting EU rules to local constraints and boosting resilience, competitiveness, connectivity, renewable energy, and access to housing, healthcare, and education. Brussels Remote-Areas Push: In parallel, Brussels says the plan targets remote areas of strategic importance to improve access to the single market and tackle climate and environmental challenges, with social inclusion and employment also in focus. Sargassum Warning for the Caribbean: A fresh look at the sargassum “superbloom” highlights how seaweed mats are piling up across the Caribbean and beyond, smothering reefs and harming coastal economies while triggering health risks for workers and residents. Tourism Access: Cruise itineraries are expanding for the Southern Caribbean, making bucket-list ports like Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao easier to reach without long repositioning sailings—an indirect boost for regional travel demand. Sports Governance Appointment: Former FIFA official Kenny Jean-Marie has joined the African Collaborations Group advisory board, bringing experience from FIFA’s member-association support and development programmes.

EU Outermost Regions Push: The European Commission unveiled a new strategy and regulatory package for the EU’s outermost regions—explicitly including Guadeloupe—aimed at adapting EU rules to local realities and boosting access to the single market, competitiveness, jobs, education, and climate resilience. Geostrategic Focus: Commission leaders say the plan targets connectivity, renewable energy, protection of strategic infrastructure, and social equity, with French overseas territories governed from Paris highlighted as key parts of Europe’s global reach. Sargassum Warning for the Caribbean: A report on record sargassum “superblooms” describes how floating seaweed smothers reefs and mangroves, disrupts fishing and tourism, and releases gases linked to respiratory harm—an issue hitting Caribbean coastlines hard. Sports Governance Link: Former FIFA official Kenny Jean-Marie has joined an African sport industrialisation advisory role, underscoring continued ties between Paris-based institutions and regional development agendas.

Caribbean Tourism: Explora Journeys unveiled its 2026-27 Caribbean season, with voyages from mid-October 2026 to March 2027 across two ships—EXPLORA I starting from Miami on Nov. 17 and EXPLORA III debuting from Québec City on Oct. 15 before reaching San Juan on Nov. 1—mixing major destinations like Saint Barthélemy and Saint Lucia with lesser-known stops. Regional Security & Sovereignty: Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel hit back at Donald Trump’s AI-style “takeover” map, saying the island “will never again” be a colony, while Cuba’s foreign minister mocked the US for leaving citizens “geographically disoriented.” Diplomatic Tensions: European leaders also pushed back on Trump’s Greenland-linked claims, with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledging 200 million euros to support Greenland on climate, internet, education, fisheries and hydropower. Disaster Preparedness: UNESCO warned there’s close to a 100% chance of a tsunami wave exceeding 1 meter in the Mediterranean over the next 30 years, prompting faster evacuation planning along the French Riviera. Culture & Heritage: Guadeloupe/France is among the 87 nominations submitted for UNESCO’s Memory of the World regional register for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Sovereignty Clash: Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel hit back at Donald Trump’s AI-style “takeover” map, saying the island “will never again” be a colony and vowing to defend sovereignty, as Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez mocked the US for leaving people “geographically disoriented.” The map reportedly overlays the US flag across territories including Cuba, Guadeloupe, Martinique and Haiti, escalating already tense US-Cuba relations. Regional Ripples: The same Trump map drew public pushback from European leaders, with Iceland’s prime minister calling it an “insult” to sovereign states and stressing that such claims must be taken seriously. Local Relevance: For Guadeloupe, the key political takeaway is that the territory is explicitly named in the US messaging, turning a social-media post into a sovereignty and diplomatic issue with potential knock-on effects for regional partners.

EU External Relations: European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pledged €200 million to Greenland during a visit aimed at easing sovereignty tensions after Donald Trump’s repeated claims about U.S. control. Diplomacy & Sovereignty: Denmark’s PM and Greenlandic leaders pushed back as NATO allies face added strain, with officials framing the funding as a partnership to support climate, internet access, education, fisheries and hydropower. International Politics: Trump’s latest Truth Social posts—maps showing an enlarged “United States” covering parts of North America and beyond—sparked sharp condemnation from Prime Minister Kristrún Frostadóttir, who called it an insult to state sovereignty and said countries must be taken seriously. Local Relevance (Guadeloupe): The week also includes a UNESCO Memory of the World regional register update listing nominations that include Guadeloupe/France, highlighting ongoing cultural governance work tied to the Caribbean region. Public Life: Separately, Miss World 2026 crowned Joheirry Mola (Dominican Republic), while Miss France Indira Ampiot missed out.

Sovereignty Row: Iceland’s prime minister and foreign minister publicly condemned Donald Trump’s AI-style “expanded USA” map on Truth Social, calling it an insult to Icelanders, Canadians and Greenlanders and stressing that states’ sovereignty can’t be “manipulated.” Diplomatic Fallout: The map reportedly depicts dozens of territories and sovereign nations, while the White House has not said it’s an official policy—yet it follows Trump’s past talk of annexing Canada and Greenland and raises fresh tensions. Guadeloupe & Regional Culture: Guadeloupe/France submitted a nomination to UNESCO’s “Memory of the World” regional register for Latin America and the Caribbean, with 87 nominations total to be assessed around November 2026. Local Heritage & Indigenous Economy: A Kalinago delegation from Dominica visited St. Kitts to advance a permanent Kalinago Craft Centre, aiming to create sustainable income for artisans and strengthen cross-island heritage ties. Sports Governance: Bermuda Football Association president Mark Wade says FIFA chief Gianni Infantino’s surprise attendance at a Caribbean Football Union meeting in the Dominican Republic shifted the tone, but allowed frank talks on governance and FIFA’s commercial proposals.

UNESCO Memory of the World nominations: Guadeloupe/France has submitted 1 nomination among 87 entries for the 2026 Call of UNESCO’s Memory of the World Regional Register for Latin America and the Caribbean, with nominations assessed at MoWLAC’s XXVI Annual Meeting around November 2026. Regional heritage & indigenous economy: A Kalinago Council delegation visited St. Kitts to expand cross-border indigenous cooperation, including plans for a permanent Kalinago Craft Centre aimed at creating sustainable income for artisans and residents. Sports governance in the Caribbean: Bermuda FA president Mark Wade says FIFA chief Gianni Infantino’s surprise attendance at a Caribbean Football Union meeting in the Dominican Republic changed the tone, but also led to “frank conversations” about governance and FIFA’s plans to open major tournament commercial rights to private investors. Local cultural spotlight: A new Shoreview museum exhibition, “Welcome to Reverie Forest,” uses art to explore memory and shelter, with works inspired by gardens and woods.

UNESCO Memory of the World: 87 nominations have been submitted for the 2026 MoWLAC Regional Register for Latin America and the Caribbean, including Guadeloupe/France (1), with evaluations due at the XXVI Annual Meeting around November 2026. Local Governance & Environment: France’s 2026-27 hunting season is being set by prefectural decrees, with local authorities empowered to impose bans after wildfires; rules vary by department and species. Regional Politics & Sport Governance: Bermuda Football Association president Mark Wade says FIFA boss Gianni Infantino was only made known to CFU leaders at the last minute, shifting the tone of a Caribbean Football Union meeting over FIFA’s “Forward Enterprise” plans and governance expectations. Culture & Heritage: A profile highlights Chevalier de Saint-George, born in Baillif near Basse-Terre, linking Guadeloupe to French Enlightenment music and history. International Watch: A guide to France’s 2027 presidential election notes that Guadeloupe and other overseas territories vote on the preceding Saturday to meet counting deadlines.

Local Hunting Rules: France’s 2026-27 hunting season is set to open with dates that vary by department and by species, with Sundays flagged as the busiest day; after this year’s wildfires, authorities can impose local hunting bans rather than a single national policy, and calendars are set by prefectural decree. Governance & Sport: In the Caribbean football fallout from FIFA boss Gianni Infantino’s surprise presence at a CFU meeting, Bermuda FA president Mark Wade says he only learned of Infantino’s attendance hours before, and that the gathering turned into frank talks about governance and FIFA’s “Forward Enterprise” plans. French Politics (Overseas Voting): A 2027 presidential election guide notes that Guadeloupe and other French overseas territories vote on the preceding Saturday so results can be counted in time, with the provisional second-round result expected at 8pm on May 2.

Independence Debate in the Caribbean: A new commentary ahead of the 64th Independence Day argues that “knowing” history isn’t enough—what matters is what that history means for today’s economy, education, crime, and institutions, pushing back on simple “per-capita income” comparisons. Regional Politics & Elections: A France 2027 presidential election guide notes that voters in Guadeloupe and other French overseas territories will vote on the Saturday before the main Sunday rounds to meet counting deadlines. Sports Governance: Bermuda’s football chief Mark Wade says FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s surprise appearance at a Caribbean Football Union meeting in the Dominican Republic changed the tone, but also opened “frank conversations” on governance and FIFA’s plans to involve outside investors. Culture & Heritage: A Kalinago Council delegation visited St. Kitts to expand indigenous economic opportunities, including plans for a permanent Kalinago Craft Centre and a commemorative ceremony for Chief Tegremond.

Sports & Media: A quick international roundup hit the feed, but the only item with a clear political/governance angle for Guadeloupe readers is the France 2027 presidential election guide noting that voters in overseas territories including Guadeloupe will vote on the preceding Saturday so results can be counted in time. Regional Governance & Football: Bermuda Football Association president Mark Wade says he learned FIFA boss Gianni Infantino was likely attending a Caribbean Football Union meeting only hours before it, and that the surprise presence shifted the tone—yet still enabled “frank conversations” about FIFA governance and proposals tied to commercial rights. Culture & Heritage: A Kalinago Council delegation from Dominica visited St. Kitts to expand indigenous heritage cooperation and plans for a permanent Kalinago Craft Centre, framed as a path to sustainable livelihoods. Public Health & Environment (International): Kenya’s pesticide use reportedly hit a record high, raising pressure around hazardous chemicals—useful context for any regional debate on agriculture policy and health risks.