OT Minister’s visit to focus on security, environment, COI reforms
The Deputy Governor’s Office has officially announced Overseas Territories Minister Lord Zac Goldsmith’s plans during his ongoing visit to the BVI. However, there is, so far, no indication that the UK minister has prioritised discussions about removing the Order in Council hanging over the BVI.
The order, which is a consequence of the findings of a damning Commission of Inquiry (COI) report released last year, is being held in reserve in the UK parliament and sanctions the suspension of the BVI’s constitution, allowing for Britain to take over for at least two years.
Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley said days ago that Lord Goldsmith had promised to discuss removing the order during this visit to the BVI. But based on a statement from the Deputy Governor’s Office on Tuesday, Lord Goldsmith’s focus is placed elsewhere.
The release said Lord Goldsmith’s visit is to further develop the partnership between the UK and BVI and discuss a range of issues including United Kingdom support for environmental and security projects and implementation of the Commission of Inquiry recommendations.
“The minister will meet with elected representatives, senior officials, and community representatives. His programme will focus on both security and environmental issues, with a visit to RVIPF’s Marine Base and to Anegada to see the impact of the Stony Coral Tissues Loss Disease,” the release noted.
Lord Goldsmith said he was also excited to see the range of conservation and biodiversity projects and discuss potential areas where the governments of the BVI and the UK can further work together in helping build the territory’s resilience to climate change.
“I am keen to meet the people here and to learn more about the BVI first-hand. I look forward to discussions focusing on the reform programme and how to ensure momentum is maintained,” the Minister for Overseas Territories said.
Lord Goldsmith’s three-day visit to the territory runs from January 31 to February 2.
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If we believe that those who enslaved us will be our saviors then we are a really screwed up people. A sophisticated version of the mental manipulation that occurred during slavery is happening right now. Rule number 1, turn the people against themselves. We are so lost that not even this we could see.
To my Uk Minister, please note the two Orders in Council are both wrong and do not reflect democracy nor a modern partnership. Both need to be removed immediately, both the one for financial services to make the register public and the other one with the suspension of the constitution. Democracy cannot and should never be railroaded. Allow the policies and judiciary to function and allow the people to use their democratic rights to vote for their leaders and not be dictated to by a few people in the UK and a non-elected Governor who can never do this in the UK. It is wrong.
Not much time to accomplish anything here so why bother coming?
Hope he see feel and breathe the everlasting and ongoing killer carcinogenic air producer at Pockwood Pnd.
There are no words to describe this willfull
brutality on the peoples of the VI.
Our duly elected,black down to their toenails, are our killers in the VI and all the Caribbean Islands.
Socially economically and physically.
Go bask in the dense putrid Good Morning welcome of the Pockwood Pond openburner as a wakeup call to reality.
Let’s focus on border protection/ coastal monitoring!
Simple, Suspend and take over done with all the bla bla. Get us moving forward
Unfortunately this fellow is one of the dimmest and most st**id ministers the UK has had in recent years ( and that is saying something ) Born rich, elected but then thrown out at the last election, he allegedly bought his way back into the government.
Completely useless to the BVI.
Is better. I am sure he thought so too