PAPEETE, FRENCH POLYNESIA – On Thursday, February 28, 2019, St. Maarten lead by the Deputy Minister of Plenipotentiary, the Honorable Michael Somersall, participated in the OCTA Ministerial Conference in French Polynesia. During the Ministerial Conference, Sint Maarten’s Deputy Minister of Plenipotentiary Michael Somersall signed the Political Declaration and Administrative Resolutions of OCTA on behalf of Sint Maarten.
During his intervention, Deputy Minister Plenipotentiary Somersall reiterated St. Maarten’s support for continued cooperation with the UK Overseas Territories within OCTA to the extent possible, with regards to the future relationship between the UK and the EU. Moreover, Deputy Minister Somersall shared Sint Maarten’s outstanding concerns with regards to the proposed OCT financial instrument post 2020 and urged OCTs to work together to ensure that the future financial instrument takes into account the specificities and constraints of the OCTs.
Following two consecutive terms as the President of the Executive Committee of OCTA on behalf of Sint Maarten, Mrs. Carol Voges, handed over the baton to Saint Pierre et Miquelon for the administrative year 2019. Noteworthy, Sint Maarten retains a position as member of the Executive Committee of OCTA.