Beautiful Virgin Islands

Tuesday, Jun 03, 2025

The Overseas Territories on the global stage

The Overseas Territories on the global stage

For the last few weeks, much of the world has focused on the northern part of the United Kingdom.

To be precise, the world’s gaze was on a “wee town” in Scotland called Glasgow.

Quite literally, the future of the planet, as we know it, depended on decisions made during the meeting of world leaders at the United Nations Climate Conference of the Parties, more commonly known as COP 26.

Leaders from almost every nation on earth gathered in Glasgow, along with approximately 25,000 persons in attendance.

Representing the Overseas Territories were Parliamentary Secretary Quincia Gumbs-Marie of Anguilla, Deputy Premier Walter H. Roban of Bermuda, Premier G. Wayne Panton of the Cayman Islands, Minster Josephine O. Connolly of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Minister Vincent O. Wheatley (R9) of the Virgin Islands.

The pertinent issues discussed were as follows:

● To secure global net-zero by mid-century and keep warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius

● To adapt to protect communities and natural habitats.

Failure to contain the world’s temperature will lead to the following:

● Increased droughts and heatwaves

● Irregular crop seasons

● Stronger Hurricanes

● Rises in sea levels

Ground Zero


Countries with large landmasses, such as; Russia, China, and the United States, which produce the most carbon emissions, have the luxury of not worrying about the adverse effects of rises in sea levels and stronger hurricanes.

Unfortunately, for island states around the world, global warming and hurricanes have destroyed property, livelihood, and lives.

If anyone needs a reminder, they need look no further than the impact of two Category 5 hurricanes in September of 2017, Irma and Maria.

These hurricanes devastated the islands of Anguilla, Dominica, Puerto Rico, Saint Maarten, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the Virgin Islands.

Property damage was beyond calculation, an untold amount of jobs were lost, and unfortunately, thousands died in Puerto Rico and throughout the other islands.

Family Gathering


Whilst everyone knew about COP 26, later in November, there was a lesser-known gathering that took place in the “wee town” of London, England.

Representatives of the remaining British Colonies, or United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association (UKOTA), met for the annual Joint Ministerial Conference (JMC).

The UKOTA Members are as follows:

● Anguilla

● Ascension Island

● Bermuda

● British Virgin Islands

● Cayman Islands

● Falkland Islands

● Gibraltar

● Montserrat

● Pitcairn Islands

● St Helena

● Tristan da Cunha

● Turks & Caicos Islands

Representing the Caribbean Overseas Territories were the following; Premier Webster of Anguilla, Premier E. David Burt of Bermuda, Minister Andre Ebanks of the Cayman Islands, Premier Joseph E. Farrell of Montserrat, Premier Charles W. Misick of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Premier Andrew A. Fahie (R1) of the Virgin Islands.

The Premiers of these Overseas Territories met to discuss items such as; relations with each other, relations with the United Kingdom, Covid-19 response, the adverse effects of Brexit, and economic resilience.

Without a doubt, one of the most important topics of discussion is the environmental and economic devastation that climate change is slowly but surely bringing to the island states.

Bearing in mind that each member of the UKOTA family are countries that depend on tourism, fishing, and clean environments, it was of utmost concern to discuss the need for adaptation for the impending effects of climate change.

Leadership through humility


More often than not, those who are elected leaders have to have an innate sense of self-confidence in order to navigate their country through challenging times.

Simply put, one cannot be wishy-washy and expect to command the respect of fellow politicians and the population as a whole.

The key to authentic leadership is to know how to balance confidence with humility.

During the JMC, leaders from diverse parts of the world, and differing personalities, had to demonstrate immaculate statesmanship qualities, to put forward a wide range of perspectives on several items.

The 250,000 persons from around the Overseas Territories, should be proud to know that their leaders are working collectively on behalf of all.

The leaders of larger nations would do well to take lessons from the OTs, as quite literally, both our livelihoods and lives depend on it.

Representing the Caribbean Overseas Territories at the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association (UKOTA) were the following; Premier Webster of Anguilla, Premier E. David Burt of Bermuda, Minister Andre Ebanks of the Cayman Islands, Premier Joseph E. Farrell of Montserrat, Premier Charles W. Misick of the Turks and Caicos Islands, and Premier Andrew A. Fahie (R1), 2nd from left, of the Virgin Islands.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
×