News

Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago – October 8, 2025.

Panama, currently serving as Chair of the Ministerial Council of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) for the 2025–2026 period, participated in the conference “Beyond the Wave: Practical Approaches to Responding to Sargassum”, held in Brussels, Belgium, within the framework of the Global Gateway Forum.

The Panamanian delegation, headed by the Vice Minister of Multilateral Affairs and Cooperation, Mr. Carlos Guevara Mann, reaffirmed Panama’s commitment, as Chair of the ACS Ministerial Council, to strengthening ocean governance in the Greater Caribbean, highlighting the recent establishment of the ACS Sargassum Sub-Commission as a decisive step toward a coordinated regional response to this environmental challenge.

The ACS has taken a historic step with the creation of the Sargassum Sub-Commission, the first intergovernmental mechanism with a regional political mandate to coordinate a joint response to this challenge across the Greater Caribbean. Comprising fourteen experts from across the region, the Sub-Commission will strengthen ocean governance, promote scientific and technical cooperation, and help transform sargassum into an opportunity for sustainable development and the protection of the Caribbean Sea.

Vice Minister Guevara Mann acknowledged the leadership of the Dominican Republic, Grenada, and Mexico in organizing the conference and reiterated that the Sargassum Sub-Commission, established in early October under the ACS framework, will contribute to addressing this issue in a comprehensive manner.

Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Panama

https://mire.gob.pa/viceministro-guevara-mann-participa-en-bruselas-en-conferencia-sobre-el-sargazo/

About the Association of Caribbean States (ACS)

The Association of Caribbean States (ACS) is an intergovernmental organization established in 1994 through an international convention, with the purpose of promoting consultation, cooperation, and concerted action among the countries of the Greater Caribbean. It currently comprises 25 Member States and 10 Associate Members and is guided by the principles of multilateralism, respect for sovereignty, and unity in diversity that define the Greater Caribbean region.