Bermuda’s Premier In Anguilla For Pre Overseas Territories Consultative Council (OTCC) talks

HAMILTON, Bermuda – Bermuda’s Premier Dr. the Hon. Ewart F. Brown returns on Friday, November 20th from Anguilla after having participated in a number of meetings in preparation for the Overseas Territories Consultative Council (OTCC) meeting next month in London.

Heads of Government from the Overseas Territories meet annually to plan the agenda for the OTCC meeting, held annually in London.

“We expect that this year’s agenda will be dominated by the effects of the global economy on the territories and the situation in Turks and Caicos. The opportunity to focus the agenda and to agree on common areas of interest in advance of our annual meeting with the British Government is critical,” said Dr Brown.

The OTCC is chaired by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State with responsibility for the Overseas Territories. The Chair is presently occupied by Chris Bryant, MP. Government leaders from all remaining Overseas Territories attend and are joined for some of the sessions by their Governors.”

Present at the Anguilla meeting are the Heads of Government of Anguilla, the British Virgin Isles, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, and Bermuda. They are joined by eminent Caribbean statesmen, the Rt. Hon “PJ” Patterson, former Prime Minister of Jamaica, and Sir Srinath Ramphal of Guyana, formerly Commonwealth Secretary General.

Issues discussed included: Government and Constitutional Developments, Human Rights and Citizenship; Economic Development and Financial Management; Environment and Sustainable Development; Criminal Justice; Turks and Caicos; and Contingent Liability.