CASTRIES, St. Lucia, Jun 2, CMC – The Guadeloupe-based OHADAC Regional Arbitration Centre (CARO Centre) will on next week launch a training programme intended to contribute to a more predictable, accessible and secure legal environment for businesses, investors, institutions and economic stakeholders operating across the Eastern Caribbean.
The ”OHADAC–CARO training Programmes – Capacity Building on Arbitration and ADR in the Caribbean” on June 10 will be held in collaboration with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).
It will be attended by the French Ambassador to the Eastern Caribbean States, Barbados, and the OECS, Mrs. Marie-Noëlle Duris, as well as the former president of the Trinidad-based Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), Sir Dennis Byron, who is also the President of the CARO Centre.
“This programme marks an important step towards strengthening access to economic justice in the Eastern Caribbean. By developing local capacities in arbitration and mediation, we aim to provide economic and institutional stakeholders with concrete, effective tools adapted to the realities of the region,” said CARO Secretary-General, Marie Camille Pitton.
The General Counsel at the St. Lucia-based OECS Commission, Dwight Lay, said the strengthening of arbitration and alternative dispute resolution mechanisms within the Eastern Caribbean is an important component of deepening regional economic integration under the OECS Economic Union.
“As member states continue to expand commercial partnerships both within the Caribbean and increasingly with the African continent, the development of modern, credible and accessible dispute resolution frameworks will be essential to fostering investor confidence, facilitating cross-border trade and supporting sustainable economic growth across our region,” Lay added.
The programme is being implemented under the Interreg Caribbean VI Programme and co-financed by the French Development Agency (AFD) and is aimed at strengthening local capacities in arbitration, mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) across the Eastern Caribbean, including St. Lucia, Dominica, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Antigua and Barbuda, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Its objective is to strengthening access to justice and securing economic exchanges and in a context of growing regional and international trade, the ability to resolve commercial disputes effectively has become a key challenge for the Eastern Caribbean.
It will also allow for arbitration and mediation provide complementary solutions to traditional court proceedings.
“Through this programme, and thanks to the collaboration with the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, the CARO Centre and its partners aim to support the capacity building of legal professionals, public institutions, Chambers of Commerce and private sector stakeholders across the region” the organisers said.
The first phase of the programme on June 10, is dedicated to capacity building and awareness-raising among economic and legal stakeholders.
The programme goes beyond awareness-raising. It aims to train local stakeholders, promote shared practices and make arbitration and mediation solutions more accessible to businesses, institutions and legal professionals.
“By strengthening these mechanisms, the CARO Centre and its partners seek to enhance commercial certainty, improve investor confidence and support more efficient resolution of cross-border commercial disputes within the region,” the organisers added.
CMC/ah/ir/2026