TNAG-1218-FCO40-1523-Future-of-the-Dependent-Territories-1983 — Page 114

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platform.

2

There was a large majority in Belize in favour of

independence.

In November 1980, a UN General Assembly

resolution reaffirming Belize's right of self-determination,

independence and territorial integrity was approved, calling on

Her Majesty's Government to convene a Constitutional Conference

to bring Belize to early independence. In view of the

overwhelming international call for Belize to be granted

independence, in addition to local support within Belize, Her

Majesty's Government decided to meet the target set by the UN-

Independence was granted on 21 September 1981. It was

agreed that the British garrison would remain for an appropriate

period.

Moves to settle the territorial dispute with Guatemala

continued in parallel with arrangements for independence with

Belize. Since independence, it has been HMG's policy to

encourage the two parties to reach an agreement, although no agreement has yet been reached.]

I should like to touch briefly on these remaining

territories.

Caribbean Dependent Territories

But

In the Caribbean, our general policy applies to each of the

five territories in the area: Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat and Turks and Caicos Islands. Independence is an option available to them all. constitutionally and economically each presents a different problem. Montserrat is constitutionally as far advanced as it can be, short of an agreed time-table for independence; the

Cayman Islands have still a long way to go but seem content to

remain at their present stage of constitutional development.

Economically, we have, at one end of the scales the developed, wealthy Caymans which no longer receive any British aid; at the other end, there are the less developed, relatively poor Turks and Caicos Islands which require relatively large injections of both capital and budgetary aid.