Overseas Territories Heads of Government met at Church House in Westminster for their annual United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association (UKOTA) pre-JMC meeting.
The Pre-JMC is a precursor to the full Joint Ministerial Council meeting which will be held in London in November.
The pre-JMC allows the OT leaders to agree their key agenda items for discussion with the UK in November. There will also be a report provided by the UK Overseas Territories Association (UKOTA) on their work over the past year.
Talks included a discussion about a Joint Position Paper for the Overseas Territories with regard to their collective relationship with the UK, where all territories were able to share their own experiences and input to the paper. A session on climate change enabled Territories so share areas of concern and advantage, including the UK’s “blue belt” initiative that promotes Marine Conservation Zones in the United Kingdom and Overseas Territories, and involvement in the extension of the Paris Agreement and United Nations Climate Change Conference.
Hurricane recovery and preparedness was discussed and islands affected by Hurricanes Maria and Irma last year were able to update the Overseas Territories about their recovery and preparedness for the season this year. Thanks were given to the Cayman Islands by the British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands who outlined how assistance rendered by their sister Territories following the hurricanes had been so welcome and crucial in the aftermath.
Immigration issues that affect British Overseas Territories in the UK were also discussed.
In November – December 2022 the RRS Discovery travelled 9000 miles to the remote islands of Ascension and St Helena. Run as part of the UK Government’s Blue Belt Programme, this scientific expedition visited areas of previously uncharted ocean within the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) of these south Atlantic islands. Introduced by international musician and […] Read more...