MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

New focus for overseas visits by Falkland Islands Councillors

Falkland Islands Government spokesperson and Member of its Executive Council, Mike Summers, told local media last Friday that an internal review had taken place of the process by which he and his colleagues were chosen to represent the Falkland Islands Government at important overseas meetings.

In the past, he revealed, this had been done with the underlying assumption that every member of the Islands' eight strong Legislative Council that wished to, should get an opportunity to attend overseas conferences during their four year term of office.

As a result of a review of this procedure it had been decided to make the Councillor with responsibility for Corporate Services, at present Mr.Summers, also responsible for the coordination of overseas visits.

For the rest of the life of this Legislative Council, which is now a little over three years, Councillor Summers said that the Honourable Dr.Richard Davis would head the Islands' representation at the United Nations C24, De-Colonisation Committee, Cllr.Richard Cockwell would attend British Commonwealth Parliamentary Association meetings and Cllr. Andrea Clausen would lead participation in meetings connected with the European Union.

In each case, the councillors leading the Falklands delegation would be accompanied by another councillor, chosen from those available and willing to go. Cllr. Summers would remain as the Islands' chief representative at meetings of the British Overseas Territories Consultative Council.

The purpose of this departure from previous custom was, said Mr.Summers, to provide more coordination and focus, "using the best expertise available, where reasonable" but also allowing newer members the opportunity to gain experience of attending important overseas opportunities for stating the case of the Islands.

An exception to the new policy would be the annual conferences of British political parties. Attendance at these events was very useful, according to Summers, but required no particular specialists and in any case was usually ably led by the Falkland Islands Government's Representative in London, Miss Sukey Cameron. The attendance of Members of Legislative Council would therefore be governed primarily by availability.

John Fowler (Mercopress) Stanley