MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Overseas Territories meet in London on tenth anniversary of milestone White Paper

Foreign Office Minister Chris Bryant

Foreign Office Minister Chris Bryant will be hosting in London the eleventh meeting of the Overseas Territories Consultative Council (OTCC) on Wednesday 9 December. This is a key event in the British government /Overseas Territories calendar.

On request from the Overseas Territories a forum is being held the day before the Consultative Council to review the 1999 Government White Paper which established the principles and guidelines for the relationship between the UK and OT since 1999.

On Wednesday ministerial discussion will cover a range of topics including the UK/OTs relationship plus economic issues in the light of the global crisis; financial services regulation following the G20 Summit; human rights; public sector reform; the environment; and immigration issues affecting the OTs..

Premiers, Chief Ministers and their equivalents from Britain's Overseas Territories will attend. Other British Ministers joining Chris Bryant and Territory leaders for discussions include Michael Foster MP, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for International Development; Huw Irranca-Davies MP, the Minister for the Natural and Marine Environment, Wildlife and Rural Affairs at the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; and Meg Hillier, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Identity at the Home Office.

Chris Bryant said he was delighted to welcome elected leaders from the Overseas Territories to this year’s Consultative Council since “much has happened since Territory leaders gathered in London 12 months ago”.

“Developments across many of the Territories, not least in the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the economic and financial services challenges that many of them face, have, in some cases, put our relationship under strain”.

He added that “we’ve got a great deal to discuss and difficult issues to address. I’m looking forward to open and frank discussions and to working with Territory leaders to resolve those issues and to strengthening our relationship. We value our relationship with the Overseas Territories highly and are keen to maintain that bond of friendship, even if at times we have to be critical friends.”

The OTCC was established as a result of the 1999 White Paper “Partnership for Progress and Prosperity” on the UK’s relationship with the Overseas Territories. It’s basically a forum for discussion of key policy issues between British Ministers and Heads of Overseas Territories' Governments. The Council meets once a year in London.

The Territory leaders attending this year's OTCC are: Hon Osbourne Fleming, Chief Minister , Anguilla; Hon Ewart F Brown, Premier, Bermuda; Hon Ralph T O'Neal, Premier, the British Virgin Islands; Hon McKeeva Bush, Premier, the Cayman Islands; Dick Sawle, Member of the Legislative Assembly, the Falkland Islands; Hon Reuben Meade, Chief Minister, Montserrat; Mr Michael Warren, Mayor, Pitcairn Islands; Hon Cyril Gunnell Councillor, St Helena; Mr Conrad Glass, Chief Islander, Tristan da Cunha; and Ann Miller, Councillor, Ascension Island.

This will be Chris Bryant’s first Overseas Territories Consultative Council. As FCO minister he has specific responsibilities for OTs issues.