Virgin Islands Names 10-Member Constitutional Negotiating Committee
The Government of the Virgin Islands has established a 10-member Constitutional Negotiating Committee (CNC) to lead talks with the United Kingdom on a modernised Constitution, with Premier and Minister of Finance Dr. Natalio D. Wheatley appointed chair. Cabinet and the House of Assembly approved the committee’s composition on 21 April; the Government confirmed the CNC will be supported by a team of six resource personnel and will begin island-wide public stakeholder meetings in May. The formation follows the Constitutional Review Commission’s final report (November 2023) and the House of Assembly’s deliberations, which were laid as a public report in April 2026 to guide negotiations.
The Government of the Virgin Islands has announced the establishment of a 10-member Constitutional Negotiating Committee (CNC) to represent the Territory in negotiations with the Government of the United Kingdom on a new, modernised Constitution. Cabinet and the House of Assembly approved the committee’s composition on 21 April, the Government said in an official release.
The move follows the Constitutional Review Commission’s final report published in November 2023 and the House of Assembly’s subsequent deliberations. In April 2026 the House laid its report, Deliberations on the Constitutional Review Commission (2022–2023) Report, as a public document intended to guide the next stage of engagement and negotiations.
Premier and Minister of Finance Honourable Dr. According to the Government statement, the committee comprises 10 members and will be supported by a team of six resource personnel to assist in the negotiation and engagement process. The public summary provided to BVI Live did not include the full list of committee members or the names of the resource team.
Premier Wheatley described the committee’s formation as a critical milestone in the Territory’s constitutional development. "The establishment of the Constitutional Negotiating Committee ensures that The Virgin Islands is properly represented in discussions with the United Kingdom as we seek to modernise our constitutional framework," he said in the Government’s release, adding that the process aims to strengthen governance, enhance self-determination and secure a Constitution that reflects the will and future of the people.
The Government emphasised that the CNC will carry forward recommendations from the Constitutional Review Commission and the House of Assembly’s deliberations through structured negotiations. The release underlined a commitment to a transparent, inclusive and forward-looking approach and said a coordinated communications strategy will keep the public informed throughout the reform process.
As part of that strategy, CNC members will hold stakeholder meetings across the Territory in May. The schedule begins on Tortola at the Eileene L. Parsons Auditorium on Tuesday 5 May; further sessions are planned for 26 May at the Catholic Community Centre on Virgin Gorda, 28 May at the Methodist Church on Jost Van Dyke, and 29 May at the Emile Dunlop Community Centre on Anegada.
The Government invited residents to discuss the House of Assembly Deliberation Report and to receive information about the negotiation process. The Government’s statement also provided contact points for media and public enquiries through the Premier’s Office and government channels, and reiterated that the CNC’s work will be watched closely by residents and stakeholders as the Territory seeks a constitutional framework to guide governance for the coming decades.
For BVI residents this marks the start of a visible phase in constitutional reform where public input and transparency are being encouraged as negotiations with the United Kingdom get under way.
Primary source: BVI Government