MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Today, first Monday of June is UK Overseas Territories Day

Colors of the fourteen UKOTs in Parliament Square

The first Monday in June is UK Overseas Territories Day. This means today UKOTs flags will be flying in Parliament Square in London, including the Falkland Islands colors. UKOTs make a diverse and amazing contribution of the UK family.

 There are a total of 14 UK Overseas Territories (UKOTs) that have retained a constitutional link with the UK. They are inhabited by over 300,000 citizens and cover a combined area seven times that of the UK. While most are self-governing, with their own governments and legislatures, the UKOTs retain a strong relational tie to the UK, which has responsibility for foreign relations, security, defense, and good governance.

The UKOTS, a number of which are in the remotest parts of the world, are particularly vulnerable to the global challenges of financial insecurity and a changing environment. Therefore supporting and developing effective oversight of public finances is a key means to ensure that they build strong and resilient economies that provide for their citizens. 

Since 2016 the UK Overseas Territories has delivered a coherent program of transformational activities which is enhancing good governance and oversight of public finances in the self-governing UK Overseas Territories. The Project is organized as a consortium and is led by CPA UK in collaboration with the National Audit Office (NAO) and the Government Internal Audit Agency (GIAA). The Project is funded through the Overseas Territories and Polar Directorate of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).