Anguilla was represented at the pre-Joint Ministerial Council meeting in the Cayman Islands this week. It was attended by Heads of Government and other delegates from the British Overseas Territories. Anguilla’s delegation comprised Premier Victor Banks and Minister of Health and Social Development, Mr. Evans Rogers.
The meeting was chaired by Premier Alden Mc Laughlin of the Cayman Islands. It was an opportunity for all the Overseas Heads of Government to exchange views on political and constitutional issues. Among the issues were the United Kingdom’s relationship with the Overseas Territories and an update on the work carried out by the UK Overseas Territories during the past year.
Heads of Government or their delegations attended from Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, the Falklands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, St. Helena, Tristan da Cunha and the Turks and Caicos Islands.
Further information about the meeting was provided in a press release published on Monday, June 24, 2019 by the Premier’s Office of the Government of the Cayman Islands. The rest of the release was as follows:
“Once again we are privileged to host the Pre-Joint Ministerial Council here in the Cayman Islands,” said Mr. McLaughlin. “Each Overseas Territory is different but these meetings afford us an opportunity to discuss the various ways in which we can work together. Through this meeting we will agree on an agenda and strengthen our collective position for the full JMC meeting later this year in London.”
Specifically, those in attendance will discuss the Communique process, progress reports and general feedback on the effectiveness of the last JMC, which was held in December 2018.
In the first session of the Pre-JMC attendees will discuss topics including a Joint Caribbean OT-wide oil spill clean-up, Trade, Banking in Small Jurisdictions and an Oceans Policy Update.
The second and third sessions will involve discussions led by the Cayman Islands about the recommendation of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the response from Her Majesty’s Government and an update on the United Kingdom Government.
Sessions four and five will feature discussions on Frozen Pensions, Brexit, FinTech, Health and active engagement with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
The Pre-JMC will be held at the Kimpton Seafire Resort and will be followed by an inaugural UK/OT International Trade Summit, also at the Kimpton.
The Trade Summit is jointly hosted by the Cayman Islands and UK governments and is the first of its kind.
The Trade Summit coincides with the Celebrate Cayman 60thanniversary of the first written Cayman Islands Constitution, which will be celebrated over the weekend in the lead up to Constitution Day on Monday, 1 July, 2019.
During the week of events several prominent leaders will be in Cayman to participate including Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, Secretary of State for the Overseas Territories, Prime Minister of Jamaica the Most Honourable Andrew Holness and members of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Cayman Islands, Sir Graham Brady MP, Sir Michael Fallon KCB, MP and Lord Northbrook.
