The French Caribbean Joins Caribbean Shipping Association Board

Sandra Casanova, President of the Cluster Gat Caraïbes, was elected at the Board of Directors of the Caribbean Shipping Association (CSA) on October 8, 2018 during the 48th General Assembly in Panama City. Her mandate designates her as a Representative within the group A “Ships, Agents and Private Stevedore Contractors” which gathers private entrepreneurs, national associations and individual agents working as Agents for all types of vessels. 

Casanova is the first French woman to integrate the Board of Directors of this prestigious organization, 36 years after Gerard Petrelluzzi who was the first French man President of the Group A from 1982 to 1983. 

The CSA is the most important organization for maritime industry in the Great Caribbean. It spreads its influence from Mexico to the Guyana Plateau and represents the interests of actors from the public and private sectors. The Caribbean Shipping Association has become the voice of the maritime sector within the zone and acts as an observer alongside the main multilateral organisms in the Caribbean, among which are the CARICOM and the Association of Caribbean States.    

“Being represented within the Board of Directors is, first of all, the translation of a strong will to integrate our natural geographic environment. It’s also a huge opportunity for the French Caribbean to gain visibility and to reinforce economic trans-border cooperation actions among the region,” adds Casanova.

Casanova says the organization has many ongoing projects among which the realization of a second international exhibition, the Caribbean Supply Chain Event which will be held May 2 and May 3, 2019 in Martinique. #CSCEVENT2019 

The Cluster GAT Caraïbes is a network of public and private actors which aims at optimizing both multimodal transports and the supply chain throughout the Great Caribbean. 

“According to the Cluster GAT Caraïbes, integrating the Board of Directors of the Caribbean Shipping Association is the realization of one of our missions which consists in interconnecting the French Caribbean with the rest of the Great Caribbean. It’s also the recognition of the work accomplished with the Cluster GAT Caraïbes for the last seven years,” Casanova explains.