OTCC meeting in London

On November 21-22, 2006, the Overseas Territories Consultative Council (OTCC) held its 8th meeting in London at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Corruption. Among the issues to discuss on the agenda were good governance, criminal justice, human rights and climate change.

Established in 1999, the Overseas Territories Consultative Council is held in London every year to provide a forum for consultation with British Government Ministers. The meeting was attended by Premiers, Chief Ministers and other senior politicians from Britain's Overseas Territories, except Gibraltar.

Overseas Territories Minister in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Lord Triesman, who hosted the 8th meeting of the Council, emphasized the importance of the event. He was delighted with the productivity of the discussions. By the way, it is the 2nd time when the meeting was hosted by Lord David Triesman. The BVI delegation included Director of the BVI London Office Ms. Dawn Smith, 7th District Representative Dr. Kedrick Pickering (also the Team BVI founding member), Permanent Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office Mr. Clyde Lettsome and Executive Director of the BVI International Affairs Secretariat Mrs. Lorna Smith.

The annual OTCC meeting was also attended by Chief Minister Dr. D. Orlando Smith and Governor David Pearey.

Both UK and Overseas Territories representatives agreed that the UN Convention Against Corruption would be extended to the Overseas Territories as early as possible. The BVI had already expressed its agreement, and the other territories also suggested their agreement to work together on implementing a strategy for each of the Overseas Territories to integrate the work of all the parties in the criminal justice system.

Besides the British Virgin Islands, the territories represented at the OTCC were Anguilla, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, St Helena, Ascension Island, Pitcairn, Turks and Caicos Islands and Montserrat.