MARIGOT--The citizen consultation on Saint-Martin’s future territorial flag has produced a clear set of themes for designers to draw from, with residents placing diversity and multiculturalism at the heart of the island’s identity while favoring turquoise, tropical green and warm orange tones, along with symbols connected to the flamboyant tree, the sea, beaches and the island’s history.
The results were presented Monday evening, August 10, during the public presentation “From Your Voice to a Symbol” at the CCISM Opale Room. Organizers said the findings reflect months of consultation designed to ensure that the future flag grows from the views, values and aspirations expressed by the people of Saint-Martin rather than being developed solely through an institutional process.
A total of 425 contributions were recorded during the consultation, including 128 participants in seven neighbourhood workshops and 297 responses through the online consultation. All six neighbourhood councils were represented, giving organizers participation from across the territory. The consultation ran from May 1 through June 30 and combined small-group “World Café” discussions with the online questionnaire, which was used to broaden and confirm trends emerging from the workshops.
Diversity emerges as strongest value
When residents were asked what values should be associated with Saint-Martin, diversity and multiculturalism emerged as the strongest theme, raised spontaneously in every workshop and supported by 77% of online respondents.
Resilience followed, supported by 56%, with discussions linking that resilience to the island’s ability to recover and rebuild following Hurricane Irma and other challenges.
Unity was another recurring value, supported by 38% of online respondents, although discussions around unity were more nuanced. Participants expressed a desire to preserve a shared Saint-Martin identity and culture while recognizing the diversity of people who make up the territory.
Organizers emphasized that the results represent the collective views recorded throughout the consultation and were consolidated to provide an overall picture of what participants believe should characterize their future flag.
Flamboyant, sea and beaches among favored symbols
Several symbols emerged strongly from the consultation.
The flamboyant tree stood out during the neighbourhood workshops and was supported by 39% of online respondents. Organizers noted that it was the only major symbol discussed during the workshops that did not attract negative reactions. Participants associated the flamboyant with resilience, beauty, fertility and abundance.
The sea and beaches received particularly strong support online, with 61% of respondents identifying them as representative of Saint-Martin. Participants connected the sea with the island’s geography, freedom, history and economy.
The pelican was also repeatedly mentioned during workshops, particularly for its historic relationship with fishermen, although some participants questioned its distinctiveness because it is associated with other Caribbean territories. It received support from 16% of online respondents.
References to Swaliga and the island’s salt heritage also emerged, reflecting both Saint-Martin’s pre-Columbian history and its economic past. Organizers said participants stressed that these aspects of the island’s history should not be forgotten.
The consultation also identified imagery that participants did not want incorporated into the future flag. Among the elements rejected or discouraged were the iguana, monkey, mongoose, Fort Louis, chains, doves, machetes, generic animals and symbols already used on the existing Unity Flag.
Turquoise leads preferred colors
Color preferences were among the clearest findings.
Turquoise blue, representing the sea, sky and freedom, received support from 82% of online respondents, making it the strongest color preference.
A tropical green, associated with nature, the hills and hope, was supported by 68%.
A yellow, gold or orange tone, representing sand, sunshine, sunsets and the warmth of the population, was supported by 62%.
An orange-red, associated with the flamboyant, resilience and the strength of the people, was supported by 57%.
Participants generally favored natural, simple and distinct colors, with the consultation suggesting that the eventual flag should use no more than three principal colors.
Residents also expressed preferences about colors they would rather avoid. These included a dominant blue-white-red combination because of its close association with the French flag, royal blue because of its institutional character, fluorescent colors, overly aggressive red and large dominant areas of black or white. Participants also wanted the new flag to remain visually distinct from the Unity Flag, which already has an established place within Saint-Martin.
Organizers stressed that the consultation results are not a rigid graphic specification. Instead, they are intended to serve as sources of inspiration for participants in the upcoming design competition. Designers will retain creative freedom, although proposals that depart substantially from what the population expressed will be expected to explain those choices in their statement of intent.
The consultation findings will also form part of the jury’s consideration of identity and representativeness when designs are evaluated.
Design competition opens August 11
With the consultation phase completed, attention now shifts to the graphic design competition, which opens Tuesday, August 11, and runs through September 30, 2026, at 12:00 noon Saint-Martin time.
The competition is open to professionals and amateurs, including young people, students, schools and teams. Minors may participate with authorization from a parent or legal representative. Participants must demonstrate a lasting connection with Saint-Martin, including qualifying residency or membership in the Saint-Martin diaspora.
Each candidate or team may submit one proposal. Designs generated using artificial intelligence are prohibited, and participants will be required to provide information about their creative process to establish the authenticity of their work.
Once submissions close, complete applications will be anonymized before being sent to the jury. Designs must achieve at least 60 points out of a possible 80 jury points to remain under consideration, after which the jury will select 10 finalists.
The public will then be invited to vote on the 10 finalist designs. The public vote will account for 20 points, while the jury’s assessment will account for 80 points, creating a combined score out of 100.
The three highest-scoring candidates will subsequently meet individually with the jury to present and defend their creative process. Organizers explained that this stage is intended to verify the authenticity of the work rather than award additional points. Evidence that a design was generated through artificial intelligence could result in disqualification.
A consultative public vote is expected in October, with the process moving toward formal consideration and adoption by the Territorial Council. The timetable presented during the event anticipates official adoption of Saint-Martin’s new flag in November 2026 if the process proceeds as planned.
Speakers throughout Monday’s presentation emphasized that the project is intended to produce more than another graphic emblem. The future flag is expected to represent Saint-Martin at official, institutional, sporting and cultural events, while providing the territory with a recognizable symbol for regional and international representation.
They stressed that the flag should ultimately reflect the island’s history, culture, diversity and sense of belonging, while creating a symbol that future generations of Saint-Martiners can recognize as their own.
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