BVI calls on UK and other Colonial Powers to support self-determination of Overseas Territories
British Virgin Islands (BVI) Special Envoy Mr. Benito Wheatley has called on the nations classified as Administering Powers to set aside their national interests in support of the self-determination of the 17 remaining Territories over which they have control who fall under the remit of the United Nations (UN) Special Committee on Decolonization (C-24) mandated to assist the Territories in achieving a full measure of self-government and eradicating the last vestiges of colonialism.
Speaking at the recently concluded UN Pacific regional seminar on decolonization hosted by the Government of Timor-Leste in the country’s capital Dili, Mr. Wheatley said,
“We all must work together to make progress on decolonization. I know it is hard to separate national interests from the process, but an effort must at least be made to work in the best interest of Non-Self-Governing Territories (NSGTs)… the Special Committee in its engagement with the Administering Powers should continue to make a priority of dispatching visiting missions where this is practicable. The politics of the process is very complicated and requires dialogue, but no effort should be spared”.
The Special Envoy also thanked the C-24 for its visiting mission to the BVI in August 2024 that assessed the progress of decolonization and has recommended full internal self-government and a timetable for independence of the Territory, among other things.
On the topic of the role of the UN system in advancing the self-determination of the Territories, he called for more support from UN agencies to assist the Territories in advancing their sustainable development and climate resilience.
Additionally, he recommended that the C-24 adopt a draft UN resolution at its June substantive session that would permit UN agencies to utilise their regular programme budget on those Territories classified as Small Island Developing States (SIDS) that are Associate Members of UN regional commissions such as the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
Finally, Mr. Wheatley provided the regional seminar with an update on relations between the BVI and United Kingdom (UK) and called on the UK to lift the Order in Council currently being held in reserve that can suspend the BVI constitution and impose direct UK colonial rule over the people of the Territory if triggered. He said there was no longer an excuse for the UK to maintain the “unnecessary,
undemocratic and blunt colonial instrument” over the Territory with BVI’s completion of the governance reform programme agreed in 2022.
The UN list of Non-Self-Governing Territories (NSGTs) yet to be decolonized include American Samoa, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, French Polynesia, Gibraltar, Guam, Montserrat, New Caledonia, Pitcairn, Saint Helena, Tokelau, Turks and Caicos Islands, United States Virgin Islands and Western Sahara.
The UN Pacific regional seminar on decolonization took place from 21st-23rd May in Dili, Timor-Leste.
