Cayman takes its turn to hold presidency of UKOTA

(CNS): The Cayman Islands was elected to assume the presidency of the United Kingdom Overseas Territories Association at the annual general meeting last week, taking over from the Falkland Islands. As president of the UKOTA Political Council, Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly will convene the annual meeting of all the political leaders of the territories in London later this year ahead of, and setting the stage for, the next Joint Ministerial Council with the UK government.

“The Cayman Islands is committed to upholding the strong relationships that connect our global British family and working collaboratively to address issues of common interest,” O’Connor-Connolly said. “We look forward to using our tenure to bolster initiatives that benefit all overseas territories and further strengthen our partnership with the UK.” However, she did not offer any insight into those initiatives.

Each territory has an equal voice within UKOTA, regardless of its size. The organisation has advocated for several key achievements over the years, including securing full British Citizenship for the people of all the territories, facilitating visa-free entry to Europe, and establishing home fee status for students across the territories studying in the United Kingdom.

For the duration of 2024, and in line with UKOTA’s constitution, the presidency will be under the stewardship of Tasha Ebanks-Garcia, the Cayman Islands Government Representative to the United Kingdom, who expressed her gratitude for the leadership of Falklands leader Richard Hyslop over the past year.

“I look forward to building on this strong foundation and using the unique platform offered by UKOTA to further strengthen our united voice and advocate for the collective interests of the Overseas Territories here in London,” she said.

The Cayman Islands was previously elected as president and chair of UKOTA in February 2018.