With just a few weeks to go before the opening of the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 3), the French Development Agency (AFD) is organizing a strategic event dedicated to France’s overseas territories: the Perspectives Outre-Mer 2025 Conference. The event will take place on June 3 in Paris and is fully aligned with the international calendar for the Year of the Sea.
Key Information — Overseas Perspectives 2025 Conference
- Date : Tuesday, June 3, 2025
- Location : Paris (exact location specified on the event platform)
- Hours : 8:30 a.m. – 6:15 p.m.
- Organizer : French Development Agency (AFD)
- Public : Researchers, policymakers, practitioners, organizations, local governments, students
- Topic : France's Overseas Territories within their respective regional basins (the Pacific, Indian, and Atlantic Oceans)
- Registration & Program : available through the AFD's dedicated platform
- Closing : Presentation of the 2025 AFD Award for Young Overseas Researchers
An event promoting scientific and political dialogue on overseas challenges
CPOM 2025 is not just another conference: it aims to become a structured forum for discussion on the French overseas territories in their regional areas. Organized by the AFD, this biennial meeting brings together researchers, public policymakers, development institutions, economic stakeholders, and members of civil society around a common goal: to better understand the specific challenges facing overseas territories in order to inform public policy.
This event is part of a challenging geopolitical and environmental context. While France has designated 2025 as the Year of the Sea, the CPOM is intended to serve as a preparatory step toward the conference UNOC 3, co-organized by France and Costa Rica in June in Nice. Its goal: to outline a more resilient, inclusive, and sustainable path for France’s overseas territories, based on the latest findings from interdisciplinary research.
At the heart of AFD’s approach lies an integrated perspective on environmental, economic, and social issues. The institution is developing a strategy focused on building the resilience of islands to climate-related vulnerabilities, promoting regional integration, and preserving biodiversity. In addition to its financing projects, it relies on the generation and dissemination of knowledge to enhance the effectiveness of public policies.
4 roundtable discussions to explore regional issues in the overseas territories
The program for June 3 is organized around four thematic roundtables, each located in an oceanic basin where the Overseas Territories play a strategic role. This geographic approach makes it possible to better understand regional dynamics while highlighting common challenges: climate adaptation, governance, resource management, and maritime transition.
1. The Pacific Ocean: The Nature and Resilience of Islands
The first panel discussion addresses Adaptation strategies for climate change in the Pacific Islands. Although these territories contribute very little to global greenhouse gas emissions, they are already experiencing the most severe effects: flooding, coastal erosion, loss of biodiversity, and extreme weather events.
The speakers will analyze the potential of nature-based solutions—such as mangrove restoration or sustainable coral reef management—and their limitations in contexts subject to extreme climate stress. This is an essential discussion of the trade-offs between conventional infrastructure and ecological approaches.
2. Indian Ocean: Connecting Marine Protected Areas
Second highlight: the AMP in the Indian Ocean. From Mayotte to the Scattered Islands, via Réunion and the TAAF, these protected areas serve as bastions of biodiversity. But their effectiveness depends largely on their ecological connectivity.
Fragmented, poorly coordinated, and often inadequately monitored, they struggle to form a cohesive network. Initiatives such as the network Mihari In Madagascar, for example, the IRD’s research on the movement of marine species offers insights for rethinking their governance at the regional level.
3. The Atlantic Ocean: Understanding and Managing Sargassum
In the Caribbean, massive sargassum blooms are disrupting ecosystems, the local economy, and the lives of residents. This roundtable discussion will examine the origins of these “brown tides,” their link to climate change, and, above all, the responses needed to address them.
From forecasting arrivals to their economic valuation, the approaches discussed combine scientific innovation, intermunicipal governance, and citizen engagement. The study of the «willingness to pay» A study conducted by the University of the Antilles shows, in particular, how the affected populations could help finance the effort.
4. Overseas Territories: Ports, Transitions, and Maritime Safety
Finally, the fourth roundtable discussion will provide an overview issues related to maritime transport in the overseas territories. These regions, which serve as logistical hubs connecting continents, face specific challenges: the risk of piracy, natural disasters, and growing environmental requirements, as well as the need to balance competitiveness with the green transition.
Representatives from the major ports of Réunion and Guadeloupe, along with researchers in maritime geography, will explore avenues for regional cooperation to support this transformation.
Young Researchers Honored with the 2025 AFD Overseas Award
The conference will also provide an opportunity to highlight the next generation of scientists from overseas territories. At the close of the event, AFD will present the 2025 Overseas Young Researchers Award. This award, inspired by the competition “My Thesis in 180 Seconds”, which recognizes original work on ecological, economic, and social transitions in France’s overseas territories. The goal is to encourage the emergence of socially engaged research that is rooted in local realities but also capable of informing transformative public policies.
See you on June 3, 2025, in Paris
Open to a broad audience—including experts, elected officials, organizations, researchers, and students—the conference will be held in Paris and moderated by journalist Marie-Christine Ponamalé, founder of the media outlet Outremers 360. Discussions will take place in French throughout the day, featuring presentations, panel discussions, and a luncheon reception. AFD will provide a platform for registration and to follow the discussions.