VI Lawmakers Defend Territory Identity at Global
Speaker of the House of Assembly Honourable Corine N. George-Massicote led a Virgin Islands delegation to the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in South Africa, where she challenged decisions regarding the representation and flag display of Overseas Territories. The international mission follows the Territory's recent participation in the 48th CPA Regional Conference in Jamaica, where local legislators focused on parliamentary modernisation and digital governance.
Following their participation in regional parliamentary engagements in the Caribbean, Virgin Islands lawmakers took the Territory's voice to the global stage at the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) held in Cape Town, South Africa. Speaker of the House of Assembly, Honourable Corine N.
George-Massicote, served as Head of Delegation to the international summit, which convened under the theme "Strengthening International Law and Parliamentary Democracy in a Changing World Order: Commonwealth Leadership." The delegation also included Leader of the Opposition Honourable Marlon A.
Turnbull, and Clerk of the House of Assembly Bethsaida Smith-Hanley. During the CPA General Assembly, which gathered more than 500 voting delegates, Speaker George-Massicote raised formal concerns regarding the representation of the Virgin Islands and other constitutional territories.
Her intervention followed a decision to display the flag of the country with which each territory is constitutionally associated rather than the territory's own flag. Speaker George-Massicote explained that the Virgin Islands participates in the CPA in its own right through its own legislature and delegation.
She called for affected territories—including Montserrat, the Turks and Caicos Islands, Bermuda, and the Cayman Islands—to be properly consulted on decisions affecting their representation and recognition at future conferences. The intervention received strong backing from international delegates, including representatives from Botswana, British Columbia, Scotland, Gibraltar, and St Helena.
The global conference examined critical issues such as parliamentary democracy, artificial intelligence, climate resilience, human rights, disability inclusion, and the specific vulnerabilities of smaller jurisdictions. The South Africa mission built upon the Territory's earlier participation in the 48th CPA Regional Conference for the Caribbean, Americas, and Atlantic (CAA) Region in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.
At that five-day summit, Deputy Speaker Honourable Dr Karl Dawson led the local contingent under the theme "Strengthening Parliaments in the Digital Age." During the Jamaica conference, regional delegates addressed legislative modernisation, AI governance, institutional transparency, and youth empowerment.
Leonard participated in the 19th Presiding Officers and Clerks Conference, focusing on administrative capacity, budgeting, and inter-parliamentary cooperation alongside Secretary to the House of Assembly Shakiara B. House of Assembly officials affirmed that active engagement across both regional and international CPA forums ensures the Virgin Islands continues adopting modern legislative practices while firmly defending its distinct democratic identity on the world stage.
Primary source: BVI Government