"I would like to begin by making clear at the outset that my purpose for being here today is not to embarrass the United Kingdom," said Benito Wheatley, special envoy of the British Virgin Islands government, at a meeting of the UN Special Committee on the Situation with regard to the Implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and Peoples.

"I am also not here to insist on the independence of the British Virgin Islands. The Government's priorities at this point in time are recovery from Hurricanes Irma and Maria and the sustainable development of our islands," Wheatley told the Special Committee on decolonization, or the C-24.

"We also have a responsibility to ensure that the rights of the people of the British Virgin Islands enshrined in the UN Charter continue to be upheld and protected," Wheatley said.

"Engagement with the Special Committee is our right and the United Nations can play a positive role in providing an additional layer of accountability," he said.

"While the UK government has not changed its view on imposing public registers of beneficial ownership on the overseas territories without their consent and before they are a global standard, which we do not accept, (and) there has been an acknowledgement by UK law enforcement and others that the British Virgin Islands is a jurisdiction that is at the forefront of efforts to safeguard the integrity of the global financial system and should be a partner in combatting any illicit financial flows," Wheatley said.

The UK government confirmed that their policy is not to use Orders in Council, a type of legislation in the Commonwealth countries, to force the British Virgin Islands to legalise same-sex marriage, extend voters rights and eligibility for elected office to persons not covered by the constitution and abolish Belonger status as a category of citizenship conferred by the territory government, he said.

Belonger status is a legal classification normally associated with British Overseas Territories, which refers to people who have close ties to a specific territory, normally by birth or ancestry.

These developments pave the way for the UK and overseas territories to reset the relationship once a new UK prime minister and government are in place in July, he said.

"It is in the interest of both the UK and British Virgin Islands and that the UK and overseas territories renew their modern partnership that was predicated on mutual respect and responsibility," the envoy said.