The following is the text of an address delivered by Anguilla’s, Chief Minister, Mr. Victor Banks in Tahiti, French Polynesia.
Mr. Chairman, I am grateful for the opportunity to make this intervention on behalf of the British Overseas Territories on the occasion of this the 17th OCT-EU Forum here in beautiful Tahiti, French Polynesia. And having used that adjective to describe your country, Mr. Chairman I must also proceed to commend you and your team for making our experience here both enjoyable and memorable.
Indeed you have exceeded your promise made to us in Brussels last year that, 2019 in Tahiti would be exceptional. To use a colloquial expression in our region: “You have certainly wowed us!” It has been awesome.
Mr. Chairman, the UK Overseas Territories represented at this forum participated in all the discussions over the past week with as much enthusiasm as when we began seventeen years ago. The specter of BREXIT that has been creating an atmosphere of uncertainty for our territories over the last two years did not deter us from focusing on the important issues that impact all of our countries; nor from committing ourselves to strategic planning that would provide viable solutions.
It is obvious, Mr. Chairman, that this stubborn adherence to the principles on which our partnership was founded transcends any considerations of the outcome of the BREXIT negotiations. The issue is not how to deal with BREXIT — but rather how to deal with the common challenges we must confront as highly vulnerable communities on a daily basis, BREXIT notwithstanding.
However, Mr. Chairman, despite our proximity to the ostriches in Australia, this must not be interpreted as “burying our heads in the sand” with the hope that BREXIT will go away. On the contrary, we must realize that the outcome of BREXIT is beyond our control and we must therefore focus on what we can control, namely, creating sustainable and resilient environments for our people. The issue then becomes how do we continue to engage the partnerships that have been working for us in an architecture that may quickly change.
It is important at this juncture to put into perspective the historic ties that exist between the British OCT’s and the EU as well as those between the OCT’s themselves. Of particular mention is, the relationship between Anguilla and St. Maarten/St. Martin; Pitcairn and French Polynesia; Montserrat and Guadeloupe, and so on.
These ties run the whole gamut of relationships including cultural, social, familial, commercial; economic; and even existential in the case of medical and health support.
Indeed, all OCT’s are linked by common challenges and situations whether as a direct result of our geography; our size; remoteness and isolation; diseconomies of scale; scarcity of developmental options; vulnerability; exposure to devastating natural disasters; as well as the pervasive impacts Climate Change. And there are many more.
Many of these real situations are not constrained by borders or other sovereign constructs and agreements. They will remain long after our administering powers decide on their national agendas and future direction.
But even amidst the uncertainties surrounding these deliberations the British OCT’s find an element of comfort in the fact that in the new draft Association of the Overseas Countries and Territories with the European Union on the one hand, and Greenland and the Kingdom of Denmark on the other — provision has been made for the possibility of cooperation with ACP’s, OR’s and other Territorial arrangements. This represents a subtle acknowledgement of the importance placed on continuing our present engagements in the face of a redesigned architecture.
It needs to be repeated here that the British OCT’s fully respect and understand the democratic process that brought us to this place — as well as the right of the electorate in Britain to decide on these issues. However, we strongly believe that since their decision has greatly impacted us as members of the British family there must be some consideration, even a moral responsibility, to help us to navigate the resulting challenges that may attend us. We sincerely believe that despite the silence with regards such concerns during this period of negotiations — our administrative member will not let us down.
We were very grateful when the Head of the Delegation from New Caledonia at the OCTA Ministerial Conference on Wednesday tabled his support for finding a way for British OCT’s to remain within the OCT framework even after BREXIT. Indeed his remarks began a refrain that I am certain warmed the hearts of every single member of the British OCT family in the room.
We believe that these expressions of solidarity indicate that our seventeen years as an association will not been squandered. And that the importance of cooperation and building strategic alliances, in confronting our several challenges, have been clearly established and recognized.
We must accept that any arrangement post a possible BREXIT must include the UK Government. We therefore call on the UK leadership to live up to its promise of a Global Britain defined as a nation that will continue to be concerned for the plight of vulnerable associations like OCTA in a challenging world environment. This includes its (the UK’s) stated commitment to ensuring that ongoing projects involving its OCT’s in any new arrangement are maintained.
Equally, we expect that the EU must also understand that its global agenda demands that it does not ignore the importance of the British OCT’s to the sustainability and success of OCTA projects now on the drawing board as well as those already being implemented.
Indeed, it would be foolhardy to expect that regional and thematic issues now being managed inclusive of British OCT’s will remain viable without their participation. The concept of Oceans, as an example, flies in the face of any such thinking. To go a step further let me acknowledge the adage from the head of delegation from Bonaire that a close neighbour is better than a distant family.
I also would like to offer into evidence the statement made by a Caribbean historian when he wrote: “The dilemma of many Caribbean islands is that we often turn our backs on our neighbours and our faces towards Europe.”
I would hope that our European friends do not misinterpret this quotation as a suggestion that we do not appreciate their generosity — but rather as a recognition of the fact that all solutions for our challenges requires a clear understanding of the realities of the space we occupy as OCT’s. And most importantly that we cannot create sustainable projects without regard for all the territories that are a part of the universe we are addressing. I am using the term universe deliberately because I am not only speaking about geographical proximity but thematic concerns as well.
The kind words of the EU Commissioner Mimica today have been extremely encouraging for the British OCT family at this time of uncertainty. I acknowledge his sincere assurances that even in the worse case scenario British OT’s as well as the United Kingdom will never be regarded or treated as an ordinary third party. We wish Commissioner Mimica well as he now moves on from this tenure of service to the Community and its family.
Mr. Chairman, I want to close with what I believe is the objective of this relationship between the European Union and the OCT’s. It was stated in the original OAD decision in 1991 as well as those that followed. To paraphrase it briefly, the objective is to assist the OCT’s into developing robust and sustainable economies to meet the needs of our people.
It is therefore not about ongoing “welfarism” (to coin a term) but rather a respectable and mutually beneficial relationship that will lead to the ability of the OCT’s to maintain themselves without handouts.
Let me on behalf of the British OCT’s thank the European Union for living up to this mandate and continually getting better at it.
This sustainable and resilient development is what we seek. But we cannot achieve it without strengthening the bonds of cooperation and understanding that we have begun to cherish. We appreciate the contribution that our administering power and the European Union as a community has made to assist us in that enterprise — but we continue to strive to advance the cause of our own development in the face of the possible challenge of a changing architecture over which we may have no control.
Let me take this opportunity once more to reiterate our thanks to our hosts and the organizers of this Forum for the excellent arrangements they have made. And thank you Mr. Chairman for so ably chairing these deliberations and providing me the opportunity to make this statement on behalf of the British OCT family.
I thank you all for your kind attention.
