When a three-member United Nations mission visited the Virgin Islands for the first time nearly 50 years ago, it found that a major obstacle in the territory’s path toward independence was economic.
In 1976, the UN’s Special Committee on Decolonisation, also known as the C-24, asked the United Kingdom to “intensify” budgetary and economic aid to the territory, and it “reaffirmed the inalienable right” of the people of the VI to “self-determination and independence.”
Forty-eight years later, the VI’s economy has improved markedly, but the territory’s journey to “decolonisation” remains ongoing.
In a recently released 23-page report, the C-24 described a trip a six-member delegation took to the territory last August.
“The strong and vibrant determination of the people of the territory in respect of their future political status remains unquestionable and undiminished,” the report states. “However, more work is needed within communities and among the people, their political leaders and the administering power to build mutual trust and confidence.”
The mission argued that if the VI aims to seek independence from the UK, several steps should be taken first. These measures include developing a national education programme on the “quest for independence;” establishing a timeline for independence; engaging in negotiations with the UK using a UN-appointed mediator if needed; and holding a territory-wide referendum on the issue.
The visit was designed to “take stock of the economic, social and environmental situation of the territory” and make recommendations to “further” the VI’s “decolonisation process,” according to the report.
The team consisted of representatives of four UN member states — Antigua and Barbuda, Iraq, Papua New Guinea and St. Lucia — as well as two UN staffers.
On Tortola and Virgin Gorda, they took 10 meetings with people including Premier Natalio “Sowande” Wheatley; Governor Daniel Pruce; legislators including Julian Fraser (R-D3); Attorney General Dawn Smith; and groups of stakeholders. The discussions held during those meetings are detailed in the group’s report.
And while the C-24 listed the year 2030 as an “aspirational timeline” for the world to “eradicate” colonialism, the delegation noted that the VI’s journey toward that goal remains ongoing.
Premier’s ideas
In his discussions with C-24 representatives, Mr. Wheatley suggested that the UN consider an “awareness and education campaign” in the VI “to address the deficit in terms of understanding the decolonisation process and to provide real examples of the various options in order for the people to understand what those [look] like,” the report stated.
The premier also suggested that the UK government has “failed” to meet its obligations to the VI, especially in terms of national security, because it has provided inadequate resources.
Additionally, the report stated that meeting attendees described other ramifications of the VI’s current status: limits on the territory’s ability to receive foreign aid; the UK’s ultimate sway over the financial services industry; and potential UK influence over laws that could legalise same-sex marriage.
The delegation also noted “friction” between the territory and the UK over the findings of the recent Commission of Inquiry and the lingering threat that London could impose direct rule over the territory if the government doesn’t complete promised reforms.
Three options
In a January interview with the Beacon, Mr. Wheatley said there are three possible models if the VI-UK relationship is to change from its current form: independence; “free association” with the UK; and integration into the UK.
Dismissing integration as “not realistic for us,” Mr. Wheatley said he believes the VI should consider the other two options.
“I don’t think free association with the UK would be bad at all,” he added.
Such questions, he said, will be addressed as part of the forthcoming review of the 2007 Constitution and during subsequent negotiations with the UK to adopt a new constitution.
“Now, I don’t think anybody expects that we’re going to go independent tomorrow,” he told the Beacon. “It’s going to take time and preparation. And actually, what we’ve done with the Commission of Inquiry actually helps us. But there’s more we need to do.”
The to-do list, he said, includes establishing a Human Rights Commission and enacting freedom-of-information legislation, two initiatives that have languished for years.
Speaking to the C-24 delegation, Mr. Wheatley also suggested various ways that the UK could cede additional authority to the VI, including letting the premier, not the governor, chair Cabinet meetings, according to the report.
Other views
For his part, Mr. Fraser told the C-24 delegation that the VI should “seek” independence and hold a referendum to gauge sentiment on the subject, the report stated.
It added that the longtime legislator expressed “frustration over the lack of progress towards independence in the past 41 years and suggested a shift in strategy, underscoring the need for a new generation to take over and continue the dialogue.”
While the C-24 team met mainly with elected officials and public officers, the group also convened two general “stakeholder meetings.” Many attendees voiced dissatisfaction with the UK, with a Tortola resident likening the current arrangement to an “abusive relationship,” according to the report.
Virgin Gorda residents also questioned what value the VI receives from the UK but expressed concern about what would change under a new relationship.
“The main concern was the need for education on what independence would entail, including potential changes to the currency and the impact on privileges associated with the United States dollar,” the report stated.
The debate over the future of the UK-VI relationship remains active.
Today in the House of Assembly, opposition member Stacy Mather (R-at large) is slated to ask Mr. Wheatley about the “lack of broad public consensus” on questions of self-determination, according to the order paper for the sitting.
“The recent United Nations visiting mission to the British Virgin Islands in August 2024 gathered information from a limited segment of our population,” Mr. Mather plans to say.
“Given these factors, how does your government plan to ensure that the pursuit of self-determination reflects the collective will of all Virgin Islanders?
Furthermore, how has the UN mission’s report influenced your decision to advance this agenda?”
The C-24 report has been released but is scheduled to be debated at a future session of the HOA when it is formally laid on the table.
Shaun Connolly contributed to this report.