FINN(COM) DAILY RECORD: 12 DECEMBER 2003
With Relevant Articles from FIBS
Compiled by J. Brock (FINN)
BUILDING A MODERN AND EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE OVERSEAS TERRITORIES (10/12/03)
Event: 5th Overseas Territories Consultative Council
Location: London
Speech Date: 10/12/03
Speaker: Jack Straw
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am delighted to join you for the conclusion of what sounds like it has been a useful and productive few days. It is a great pleasure to be the first Foreign Secretary who has addressed a Consultative Council meeting.
I am always struck by the long history Britain shares with your countries. In some cases, our formal relationship is over 300 years old, and less formal links go back further still.
But our relationship is about more than our shared history. In today's world, the global network Britain has through the territories is as valuable as ever. The challenge today, both for you and for us, is to build a modern and effective partnership on the foundation of our shared past. It is what the 1999 White Paper described as a 'Partnership for Progress and Prosperity'.
Like every partnership, ours involves shared responsibilities and obligations. We all want a balanced relationship, with Britain guaranteeing security and defence to the territories on the one hand; and on the other the territories developing further as well-governed small island economies where the rule of law and internationally accepted standards are observed.
Many think of our partnership as split into external affairs handled by the UK and internal affairs by the territories. But the world today is so interconnected that the boundary between internal and external issues is more and more difficult to draw. Britain's commitment to the territories already goes far beyond external protection, for example in providing financial help for economic development and diversification to those who most need it. At the same time, sound financial management and agreed borrowing limits for the territories - which sound like internal issues - are in fact important to the UK as well, because the British Government has a potential contingent liability which we understandably need to protect. We also want to work in partnership with the territories to promote good governance, in the interests of the whole population: this too is part of the mutual obligations of our relationship.
The Constitutional Review process will help us ensure that we get the right balance of rights and responsibilities between us. For as long as the territories want, the UK will maintain our firm commitment to our partnership and the obligations that go with it. But equally, we cannot offer an ever-increasing degree of autonomy which would prevent us from meeting those obligations and from protecting our liabilities and responsibilities. Delivering on our strong commitment to protecting and helping the territories is only possible if we get the balance right.
The role of Governors is at the heart of this. They both protect the British government's obligations in the territories, and serve as their territory's advocate to London. I welcome the good relationships Governors have with you, and I'm delighted that they were able to take part in this week's meetings.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Last week the Foreign Office published a strategy setting out the government's eight foreign policy priorities for the next five to ten years. One of these priorities, as some of you will have seen, is the security and good governance of the UK's Overseas Territories. We set out in the Strategy how we aim to promote quality of life and long-term development in the Overseas Territories. And we also said we would expect the Territories to observe high standards of probity, law and order and good government, and to observe international commitments to which they are bound by virtue of their relationship with the UK.
We have an ambitious agenda for taking our relationship forward. Delivering it will mean the Foreign Office working more closely across the whole of government. And it will mean continuing to work in partnership with all of you. The Overseas Territories Environment Programme, which Gareth Thomas and Bill Rammell will launch with you today, is another example of that.
I hope you have had a productive few days in this consultative council, and that we can all go away from this week's meetings with new energy to meet the challenges ahead.
PRESS RELEASE FROM GOVERNMENT HOUSE:
Lan Chile have informed us that from tomorrow, 13 December, until 3 March 2004 their weekly scheduled flight will make its monthly Argentine stopover in Ushuaia instead of Rio Gallegos. This is because of repairs at Rio Gallegos airport which have made it necessary to shorten the runway. Lan Chile aircraft are unable to land and take off from Rio Gallegos during this period because of the reduction in runway length.
12 December 2003
CORRECTIONS:
On the Tri-star story on Thursday, it was the decision of the Chief Executive and Command Secretariat to bump the 7 locals off the Tristar and not the FIC.
Catering for Bishop Tito’s Lunch was done by Michele Evans and not the Upland Goose Hotel.
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FIBS NEWS DIRECT: THURSDAY, 11 DECEMBER 2003
FALKLAND ISLANDS ASSOCIATION ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING:
Members of the Falkland Islands Association have held their Annual General Meeting in London. Guest speaker at Saturday’s meeting was Sir Rex Hunt, who told members that they could not relax their campaign in support of Self Determination for the Falklands. He encouraged them to keep boosting membership, which now tops 1,000. In his speech Sir Rex claimed that despite an unequivocal rejection by Councillors, more recent reports indicate that Argentina has refused permission for a second weekly flight by LanChile from Punta Arenas to the Falklands on the grounds that any more flights should be by an Argentine Airline. He also thanked Baroness Thatcher for becoming patron of the Association and congratulated Sukey Cameron on her newly awarded MBE. The meeting was also attended by Councillors Mike Summers and Jan Cheek.
ARGENTINE NAVY HELPS TO PREVENT OVER FISHING:
The South American Press reports that the Argentine Navy is to assign more vessels to patrolling the South Atlantic in a bid to dissuade the estimated 300 jiggers operating in high seas. The move is timed to affect the jiggers that flock into the area from December 15th to catch Illex. Representatives meeting at the South Atlantic Fisheries commission today are driven by different agendas. The British are going to discuss the preservation of fish reserves, while the Argentines plan to use the session to put pressure on the Falklands.
TOURISM NEWS:
The QEII didn’t make it into port, there is uncertainty over charter flights but Sulivan Shipping’s Debbi Summers (DS) says despite the problems, the current Tourist season is progressing well. I asked her what she understood of the current position on charter flights.
DS: To be honest, I have to tell you, it’s completely up in the air. We as agents, know as much about what’s going on as anyone else. I couldn’t comment on it because I we really just don’t know what’s happening.
SG: You are taking it day by day.
DS: Yes. We always do that working with ships anyway
STEVE JOHNSTONE IN HIS NEW JOB:
Our very own Steve Johnstone, former FIBS Station Manager and Morning show host, is making waves in his new job. He is now working for BFBS in Cypress. And, he will be stationed in Kosovo as Station Manager in the New Year.
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