“Advancing Resilience, Inclusion, Cybersecurity and Innovation in Caribbean Digital Development.”
Cayenne, French Guiana • 20 – 24 September 2026
The Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), in collaboration with the Collectivité Territoriale de Guyane (CTG), convened ICT Week 2026 in Cayenne, French Guiana, under the theme “Advancing Resilience, Inclusion, Innovation and Cybersecurity in Caribbean Digital Development,” set to the rhythm of the Week’s anthem: One Region. One Rhythm. One Digital Future. The gathering brought Ministers, senior officials, regulators, private sector leaders, academia, civil society, youth and regional and international partners together in a week that, true to its song, moved the Caribbean as one region, to one rhythm, toward one digital future.
A HISTORIC FIRST FOR THE CTU
CTU ICT Week 2026 marked the first time the CTU’s premier annual event, and its statutory meetings, have been held in a French territory. It was likewise the first occasion on which such a high-level delegation from the Government of France and the European Union has engaged directly with the CTU General Conference of Ministers, reflecting the deepening bridge between the English, French and Dutch-speaking Caribbean countries, and France, that the Union has been building in recent years.
The Week featured major statutory and stakeholder events, including the 24th Strategic ICT Ministerial Seminar, the 55th Executive Council Meeting, the Joint Meeting of the 55th Executive Council and 32nd General Conference of Ministers, the 32nd General Conference of Ministers, the 2nd CTU Network of Women (CTU-NoW) Leadership Seminar, the 4th Meeting of the Caribbean ICT Youth Network (CIYN), the Digital Futures Forum, the 12th Caribbean ICT Regulators Forum and the CTU ICT4PWDs Leadership Workshop, alongside a Universal Postal Union (UPU) workshop.
ADMISSION OF SAINT BARTHÉLEMY AS ASSOCIATE MEMBER
The General Conference of Ministers approved the admission of Saint Barthélemy as an Associate Member of the CTU, in recognition of the territory’s well-established working relationship with the Union through the CaribIX project and the Saint-Barth Internet Exchange, and as a further step in extending the CTU’s reach among the Leeward Islands and bridging the French- and English-speaking Caribbean.
STRATEGIC DECISIONS AND RESOLUTIONS
The General Conference of Ministers adopted a series of resolutions strengthening the Union’s governance, membership framework and digital development agenda. Key among them were:
- Modification of Membership Categories and Clarification of Participation Rights, introducing “Member Country” as an umbrella category with CARICOM Member State and Associate Member sub-categories, clarifying voting and office-holding rights, and consolidating non-country classifications under a new “Sector Member” category.
- Support for the Regional Digital Infrastructure Plan for the Caribbean (RDIPC), welcoming the plan co-produced by the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank and encouraging Member States to pursue the international connectivity and data-infrastructure opportunities it identifies.
- Supporting the Development of Resilient Telecommunications/ICTs across the Caribbean, calling on Member States to strengthen national resilience strategies, submarine cable diversity, early-warning systems and regional cooperation on telecommunications/ICT resilience.
- Leveraging the Outcomes of the World Telecommunication/ICT Policy Forum 2026 (WTPF-26), commending the five consensus Opinions adopted in Nassau and inviting Member States to draw on them in national digital policy development.
- Advancing Regional AI Governance and Development, endorsing the Final Report of the Caribbean AI Task Force (CAITF) and its seven policy pillars, and supporting the rollout of its recommendations across the region.
- Supporting Caribbean Participation and Regional Candidatures at the ITU Plenipotentiary Conference 2026 (PP-26), extending the CTU’s full support to the candidature of Mr. Stephen Bereaux (The Bahamas) for Deputy Secretary-General of the ITU, and to Jamaica and Cuba for seats on the ITU Council, Region A (The Americas).
BUDGET, WORK PLAN AND PP-26 PREPARATIONS
The Conference approved the CTU’s 2027 Budget and Work Plan, reaffirming the Union’s financial and institutional priorities for the year ahead. As a strategic prelude to PP-26, to be held in Doha, State of Qatar, in November 2026, delegates also heard presentations from candidates seeking elected positions at the Conference, providing Member States with a platform to engage directly with those seeking the region’s support ahead of the elections.
The Council reaffirmed the importance of the timely fulfilment by all Member States and Members of their respective financial commitments to the CTU, in support of the Union’s financial sustainability and continued delivery of its mandate.
A DIALOGUE WITH FRANCE AND THE EUROPEAN UNION
The Week’s proceedings were distinguished by direct, high-level engagement from the Government of France and the European Union, including senior officials speaking to the General Conference on artificial intelligence and digital affairs, regional cooperation and EU–Caribbean digital investment. This engagement underscored the CTU’s growing role as a platform connecting the Caribbean, the French Republic and its overseas territories, and the wider European Union.
EXPLORING THE GATEWAY TO SPACE
Delegates capped the Week with a tour of the European Space Agency’s Guiana Space Centre (CSG) in Kourou — Europe’s spaceport and one of the world’s premier launch facilities — offering a striking reminder of French Guiana’s unique place at the intersection of Caribbean, European and global space and digital ecosystems.
CAPACITY BUILDING AND KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE
The 24th Strategic ICT Ministerial Seminar and the Digital Futures Forum examined digital resilience, meaningful connectivity, AI and data governance, the digital economy, public-sector transformation and the future workforce, deepening the region’s capacity to translate global trends into Caribbean-centred policy. The 2nd CTU-NoW Leadership Seminar advanced women’s leadership in digital governance, while the Caribbean ICT Regulators Forum and CIYN meeting strengthened regulatory coordination and youth engagement across the region.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Ministers expressed their profound appreciation to the Collectivité Territoriale de Guyane, the City of Cayenne, and the local Government and people of French Guiana for their exceptional hospitality, warmth and the outstanding arrangements made for CTU ICT Week 2026. The Conference likewise thanked the Government of France and the European Union for their unprecedented and welcomed engagement with the Union.
The meeting closed with a renewed commitment to the vision carried by the Week’s own anthem — that whatever their language, geography or constitutional status, the peoples of the Caribbean move forward as One Region, One Rhythm, One Digital Future.