Lifting of Order Not Signal to Relax
Education Minister Sharie de Castro warned that the UK’s recent lifting of the Order in Council should not be seen as an end to scrutiny or a reason for complacency. She said the milestone marks a test passed and a renewed responsibility for leaders and citizens as the territory moves into constitutional negotiations.
Education Minister Sharie de Castro has urged caution following the United Kingdom’s lifting of the Order in Council, telling the House of Assembly that the move should not be mistaken for an end to oversight or a licence to lower standards. "The order has been lifted… but let us not mistake this moment for calm waters," de Castro told lawmakers, stressing that the achievement was the product of unity and sustained reform. "What this represents is not an end.
It is a test that we have passed, and a responsibility that we must now carry forward." Her remarks reflect concerns among legislators that external observers — including the UK — will continue to judge the territory on the behaviour of its elected officials and ordinary citizens.
Lawmakers have repeatedly warned that missteps by public officials can be seized upon by critics and could jeopardise hard-won progress toward greater autonomy. De Castro used a nautical metaphor to explain the challenge ahead: the discipline exercised during the storm must be maintained in calmer seas.
She urged leaders to ensure accountability is not only created during crises but consistently upheld afterwards. "We cannot be the architects of accountability in one moment and the exception to it in the next," she said. "Leadership is not proven in what we create, it is proven in what we uphold." Looking ahead, the minister highlighted forthcoming constitutional negotiations as a pivotal phase.
She framed those talks as shaping the "keel of this vessel for generations to come," calling for clarity, unity and purpose from political leaders. For residents, the message is clear: while the immediate prospect of direct intervention has eased, the responsibility for safeguarding the territory’s future now rests more squarely with local institutions and the electorate.
Continued transparency, adherence to the reforms implemented in recent years, and active civic engagement will be critical if the BVI wishes to keep the chapter of external oversight closed. De Castro’s comments echo a broader consensus in the House of Assembly that the lifting of the Order is a milestone, not a finish line.
The coming months of constitutional negotiations and routine governance will test whether the territory can translate recent reforms into durable, everyday practice that earns sustained trust at home and abroad.
Primary source: BVI News