INTERVIEW. Vanessa Bousardo at the initiative of the 1st Overseas Campus for lawyers in Guadeloupe, a strategic immersion at the heart of the legal and economic issues of Overseas Territories

From March 12 to 14, 2025 in Gosier, Guadeloupe, will be held the first campus dedicated to overseas territories. How is this event unprecedented in the legal and economic landscape?

« This event is unprecedented for the Paris Bar, because it is the first time in the 12 years of existence of legal campuses, organized by our Bar, that a campus will be dedicated to overseas territories. Until now, these campuses were exclusively international, organized around the world, with the aim of promoting exchanges and meetings between lawyers of the Paris bar and their counterparts from other international jurisdictions. For the first time, we are innovating with a campus that is not international, but specifically dedicated to overseas territories. This approach reflects our desire to create or strengthen links between the Paris bar and the overseas bars. We are committed to building strong bridges between these jurisdictions.

We hope to welcome a large number of lawyers, both from the Paris bar and from the various partner bars. This first campus will be organized in collaboration with the bar of Guadeloupe, Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthélemy. We also hope for the participation of lawyers from other overseas jurisdictions, in order to enrich the exchanges and make this meeting a real success. »

Among the themes covered, the environment and reparation for harm occupy a central place. What specific challenges do overseas territories encounter in these areas, and what opportunities for collective litigation could emerge?

« On the environmental side, overseas territories are faced with challenges that can be tragic, of considerable magnitude for local populations. I am thinking, for example, of the problem of chlordecone in the Antilles, which is a major environmental and health tragedy.. On the question of reparation for harm, it is also a question of addressing bodily and material reparations in the light of environmental disasters or complex historical issues. Finally, due to their geographical positioning, overseas territories are confronted with ecological and environmental specificities which require particular attention within the framework of environmental law. These are fundamental themes in the system we are proposing. »

In terms of the development of overseas territories, what levers does the campus hope to highlight?

« The overseas territories benefit, by definition and because of their geographical positioning, from a strategic place on the international scene. I am convinced that law, which is also a market, is naturally part of an international dimension and can play a key role in this context. There is real international potential linked to overseas territories, particularly for legal practitioners in Europe. This potential constitutes an essential lever that we wish to highlight on campus. This strategic positioning deserves to be exploited and strengthened through concrete initiatives. For example, last November, Guadeloupe hosted the 77th annual conference of the Institute of Jurists of the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Countries. This type of event can serve as an exceptional platform for lawyers, providing them with resonance and impact across an entire region. We are fully committed to this dynamic, because the law is a fundamental lever that it is crucial to highlight. »

Arbitration and mediation are increasingly favored to resolve disputes. What advantages can these amicable settlement methods offer specifically in a cross-border context between mainland France and overseas territories?

« Arbitration and mediation represent valuable alternative solutions to common challenges encountered in matters of justice, whether in France or overseas. One of the main problems concerns the significant lengthening of legal delays. These measures not only make it possible to shorten these delays, but also to unclog the courts by offering effective alternatives. Overseas, where the economic fabric is mainly made up of VSEs and SMEs (more than 90%), alternative methods of dispute resolution, such as mediation, are particularly suitable. They make it possible to limit costs, maintain a constructive dialogue between the parties, and transform the actors into real participants in the resolution of their disputes. These tools are essential to meet the specific needs of these territories and deserve to be highlighted and further developed overseas. »

Can you give us an overview of the highlights of this event?

« The highlights of this event lie first and foremost in the meetings and discussions. It is not only an opportunity for fellow lawyers to get together, but also to establish a dialogue with economic players, academics, and other stakeholders. This could also be an opportunity to think about creating partnerships between the overseas bars and the Paris bar, allowing, why not, to share good practices if necessary. Moreover, several academic initiatives, such as the creation of an Overseas chair at Sciences Po in recent years, already illustrate this desire for collaboration. As we mentioned, mediation will also be at the heart of the discussions. This event could offer the opportunity to train mediators specialized in cross-border relations, thus strengthening skills in this specific area. Highlights will also include organized conferences. I can't wait for this event to take place, and I hope that it will bring together many lawyers, economic and political actors. »

To go further:

A look at the Overseas Territories with Vanessa Bousardo, vice-president of the Paris Bar, committed to equality and diversity, at the initiative of the Overseas Campus in March 2025 in Guadeloupe | Outremers360

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