Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Jul 14, 2025

VI urges ACS to continue including Associate Members in recovery efforts

VI urges ACS to continue including Associate Members in recovery efforts

The [British] Virgin Islands (VI) has called for the Associate Members of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) to continue to be included in the regional organisation’s COVID-19 response and future initiatives aimed at post-pandemic recovery.

Speaking at the virtual 5th ACS International Cooperation Conference that attracted more than 80 potential donors and development partners, Special Envoy of the Premier Mr E. Benito Wheatley expressed the VI’s sincere appreciation and gratitude for the inclusion of the VI and other Associate Members of ACS in the organisation’s COVID-19 response in 2020.

Inclusion of Associate Members


According to a press release from the Government of the Virgin Islands on June 1, 2021, Mr Wheatley stressed that the cooperation should continue as the region redoubles its efforts to combat the pandemic and looks ahead toward recovery.

“The British Virgin Islands would welcome the continued inclusion of the Associate Members in ACS’ response to COVID-19 that has been generously supported by development partners. Furthermore, we wish to be included in any future initiatives for post-pandemic recovery,” Mr Wheatley said in his official statement to participants.

Marine conservation & climate change


The Special Envoy also highlighted the VI’s readiness to participate in regional cooperation on marine conservation and climate change adaptation.

Among the donors and cooperation partners that attended the meeting were the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Brazilian Cooperation Agency (ABC), Japan International Cooperation Agency, Chile Agency for International Development, European Union (EU), the Bank of ALBA, Argentina, Peru, United Arab Emirates, Italy and The Republic of Korea.

The 5th ACS International Cooperation Conference took place on May 25, 2021 and was chaired by the Dominican Republic in their capacity as Chair of the Ministerial Council of the ACS under the theme, “Recalibrating Cooperation: A Key Driver for the Recovery of the Greater Caribbean.”

What is the ACS?


The [British] Virgin Islands is an Associate Member of ACS and remains active in the work of the regional organisation that is comprised of 35 countries and territories in Latin America and the Caribbean which are either located in, or bound to, the Caribbean Sea.

The purpose of the ACS is to facilitate regional consultation, cooperation and concerted action in trade, transport, sustainable tourism and natural disasters in the Greater Caribbean.

The ACS is a product of the desire of the 35 Contracting States, Countries and Territories of the Greater Caribbean to enhance cooperation within the region, an initiative aimed at building upon obvious geographic proximity and well-documented historical linkages.

As stated in the Convention Establishing the ACS, its primary purpose is to be an organization for “consultation, cooperation and concerted action” for its member countries. Its framework provides a forum for political dialogue that allows Members the opportunity to identify areas of common interest and concern that may be addressed at the regional level, and the solutions for which can be found through cooperation.

As an Associate Member, the Virgin Islands has the right to intervene in discussions and vote at meetings of the Ministerial Council and Special Committees on matters which affect them directly, falling within their constitutional competence.

Speaking at the virtual 5th ACS International Cooperation Conference, Special Envoy of the Premier Mr E. Benito Wheatley expressed the Virgin Isloands’ sincere appreciation and gratitude for the inclusion of the VI and other Associate Members of ACS in the organisation’s COVID-19 response in 2020 and urged the continued inclusion of the Associate Members in the ACS’ response to COVID-19 and future initiatives for post-pandemic recovery.

The purpose of the Association of Caribbean States (ACS) is to facilitate regional consultation, cooperation and concerted action in trade, transport, sustainable tourism and natural disasters in the Greater Caribbean.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
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
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
×