The CARO Centre team was represented in Dominica from June 13 to 17 as a partner in the multi-sectoral mission organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Islands of Guadeloupe (CCIIG), leader of the OHADAC project; the Invest Dominica Authority (IDA); the Chamber of Commerce of Martinique (CCIM) and the Dominica Industry and Commerce Association (DAIC).

The IDA is Dominica's government agency responsible for promoting the island's economic development. It provides support and advice to investors and business leaders who are keen to locate in Dominica.

The prospecting mission united two company delegations from Guadeloupe and Martinique over five days, specialists in a variety of business sectors: plastic waste management, agro-processing, the sale of spirits, product sales, new technologies, literary publishing, the energy transition, music publishing, audiovisual production, etc. A number of events were held including presentation workshops, conferences and networking events as well as visits to Dominican manufacturing sites.

The aim of the mission was two-fold:

• To encourage the growth of business opportunities between Dominican and French overseas territories companies via exclusive B2B meetings at which French business leaders had the opportunity to discuss, negotiate and sign agreements with local companies.
• To encourage institutional collaboration between the chambers of commerce in the three Territories.

The CARO Centre, represented by Marie-Camille Pitton, its Secretary General, organized an innovative bilingual workshop in French and English on the theme of Legal Security and Business Development in Dominica jointly with the Bar of Dominica.

The workshop offered highly practical support to companies keen to invest in Dominica but that are concerned about avoiding the legal risks resulting from a lack of knowledge about Dominica's legal environment, as well as the risks of future disputes.

The speakers were as follows:

• Roseanne Charles - lawyer at the Bar of Dominica
• Joelle Harris - lawyer at the Bar of Dominica
• Jeffrey Douglas-Murdock - lawyer at the Bar of Dominica
• Noelize Knight-Didier - lawyer at the Bar of Dominica
• Shanice Henry - lawyer at the Bar of Dominica
• Maître Christelle Reyno and Maître Yanna Cabbarus from Legalprotech Avocats, lawyers at the Bar of Guadeloupe, Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy, contributed their legal and linguistic expertise.

The workshop provided businesses hoping to expand in Dominica with key legal information regarding company, taxation, labour and international contract law and - of course - alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods. This information helped the companies concretely anticipate the rules they will have to consider, the constraints they will have to adapt to, and the opportunities represented by Dominica's legal system.

For more information, please contact us on the following address: secretariat@carohadac.org.