St Helena : NINTH OVERSEAS TERRITORIES CONSULTATIVE COUNCIL, 4-5 DECEMBER 2007
Submitted by Saint Helena Herald (Juanita Brock) 19.12.2007 (Article Archived on 02.01.2008)
The ninth meeting of the Overseas Territories Consultative Council in London on 4-5 December was hosted by Meg Munn, Overseas Territories Minister at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK.
Photo (c) St. Helena Government. Meg Munn and Cllr Isaac.
NINTH OVERSEAS TERRITORIES CONSULTATIVE COUNCIL, 4-5 DECEMBER 2007
Meg Munn and Cllr Isaac
By J. Brock (SARTMA) for St Helena Herald
The ninth meeting of the Overseas Territories Consultative Council in London on 4-5 December was hosted by Meg Munn, Overseas Territories Minister at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the UK. St Helena Councillor Brian Isaac represented the Island at the meeting. According to a St Helena Government press release, Premiers, Chief Ministers, Councillors and representatives from other Overseas Territories also attended the meeting.
It was Meg Munn’s first Overseas Territories Consultative Council and also her first opportunity to meet Hon Brian Isaac and the other representatives from the Territories since taking up her position in July this year. According to the press release, she was joined by a number of her ministerial colleagues in talks that were both wide-ranging and productive. In a new departure from previous years, the agenda was largely set by leaders of the Overseas Territories who led the discussion on issues of particular concern to them. Those who took part felt that this year’s Consultative Council was one of the most successful since the meetings were established in 1999.
Meg Munn said she was pleased to have the opportunity to meet Councillor Brian Isaac during the course of the Consultative Council. This was Councillor Isaac's first attendance at the Council. During his visit to London, Councillor Isaac also attended a meeting with Leigh Turner, the Director of the Overseas Territories Directorate. Their meeting included discussions on the St Helena air access project, constitutional affairs and human rights.
The Overseas Territories Consultative Council is a political forum which brings together British Ministers and Chief Ministers from the UK's Overseas Territories to discuss matters of common concern. This forum was established following the Government White Paper, Partnership for Progress and Prosperity, Britain and the Overseas Territories" that is available on the FCO website. This was the ninth meeting of the Overseas Territories Consultative Council since it first met in 1999.
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