Beautiful Virgin Islands

Sunday, Jul 20, 2025

Don’t underestimate the BVI’s diplomacy

Don’t underestimate the BVI’s diplomacy

Although many see the BVI as not having much power without the United Kingdom (UK), former Executive Director of BVI Finance, Lorna Smith said persons shouldn’t underestimate Virgin Islanders’ ability to successfully represent and negotiate opportunities that advance the territory.
Smith was speaking at a recent panel discussion on diplomacy that the BVI London Office held to mark 20 years of operation in the UK. She said Virgin Islanders are trailblazers who have used diplomacy to better the territory and even secured opportunities for other overseas territories in the Caribbean.

As an example, Smith said it was the BVI’s efforts to become associate members of CARICOM and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) that created the pathway for Bermuda, the Cayman Islands and the Turks and Caicos to join these bodies as well.

She said the negotiation to join the two regional bodies was completed solely by Virgin Islanders. Once they completed the rigorous process, the UK gave an official “sign-off” but had only one request:

“We were very capable of negotiating on our own but the UK got involved because we couldn’t sign treaties and so on without the UK’s agreement. The one thing they insisted on was that the rest of the overseas territories — Bermuda, Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos — also become associate members,” Smith said with a smile.

She added: “We were quite pleased to be trailblazers in getting these other countries associate membership. There is that level of maturity.”

Smith said that those successful negotiations led the United Kingdom to devolve more responsibilities to elected leaders, especially where diplomatic relations with the neighbouring US Virgin Islands (USVI) and financial services are concerned.

“In section 64 of the constitution, you will see that there are certain areas that are delegated by the Governor to the Premier and that includes regional relations including the USVI and financial services. We negotiated that in 2006 because we wanted it to be spelt out so that there would not be any misunderstandings,” Smith explained.

Those present at the panel discussion highlighted the positive role that diplomacy of the BVI London Office has played in maintaining the territory’s image and helping students and other Virgin Islanders to settle in the UK.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
×