On 28 June, the UK Government published a White Paper, “The Overseas Territories: Security, Success and Sustainability”, setting out its approach to our Overseas Territories.[1]
Our fundamental responsibility is to ensure the security and good governance of the Territories and their peoples. This responsibility flows from international law, including the Charter of the United Nations. It also follows from our shared history and political commitment to the well-being of all British nationals. This requires us, among other things, to promote the political, economic, social and educational advancement of the people of the Territories, to ensure their just treatment and their protection against abuses, and to develop their self-government and free political institutions.
The UK and the Territories share a common agenda to promote and protect human rights and tackle discrimination. The UK Government expects the Territories to abide by the same standards of human rights as the UK. Each Territory has its own constitution, and its own government has its own local laws, with substantial devolved responsibility for the conduct of internal affairs. The protection and promotion of human rights in each Territory is primarily, therefore, the responsibility of the Territory government.
The UK Government is responsible for ensuring that the Territories fulfil their obligations arising from international human rights conventions which have been extended to them. Territory governments have a duty in turn to ensure that local law complies with the relevant conventions and court judgments and is non-discriminatory. We expect Territories to take action, including legislating where necessary, in any areas of disparity to reach full compliance.
[1] The 14 UK Overseas Territories are Anguilla; Bermuda; the British Antarctic Territory; the British Indian Ocean Territory; Cayman Islands; the Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia in Cyprus; the Falkland Islands; Gibraltar; Montserrat; the Pitcairn Islands, Henderson, Ducie and Oeno Islands (commonly known as the Pitcairn Islands); St Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha; South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands; the Turks and Caicos Islands; and the Virgin Islands (commonly known as the British Virgin Islands).
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