International expert on Governance Dr. Carlyle Corbin will make an official presentation of the independent Self-Governance Assessment of the Virgin Islands in an interview today.

Permanent Secretary in the Premier’s Office Dr. Carolyn O’Neal-Morton, said the independent Self-Governance Assessment of the Virgin Islands was commissioned by the Government to provide the public with a reference document that places into historical context the constitutional advancement of the Virgin Islands, particularly as the Territory prepares for Constitutional Review.  

PS O’Neal-Morton said, “There are many questions that have been raised by the public about our constitutional development since the announcement was made in 2021 that a Constitutional Review would take place.” 

The Permanent Secretary explained that the document will help to place self-governance in the Virgin Islands in its proper context and clarify many of those questions.  

“It is hoped that by having access to the information contained in the self-governance assessment the public will be better able to engage in the Constitutional Review process,” she said.  

Dr. Corbin will discuss the report today at 12:15 p.m. today in a GIS interview via Government’s Facebook page. This is a simulcast on different radio stations. He will also make appearances today on Umoja on ZBVI at 1:00 p.m. and Honestly Speaking at 5:00 p.m. and at 10:30 a.m. on 30^th March on 284 Media. He will also be making a presentation at the H. Lavity Stoutt Community College at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday 31^st March. He has paid courtesy call on the Premier and Minister of Finance Honourable Andrew A. Fahie and Dr. O’Neal-Morton. He will also pay a courtesy call on Members of the House of Assembly.

Dr. Carlyle Corbin is an international advisor on governance and the designer of the Self-Governance Indicators (SGI) diagnostic tool which assesses self-governance sufficiency and preparedness of island non-independent countries.

He has conducted Self-Governance Assessments (SGA) covering Caribbean and Pacific countries, most recently in Curacao, French Polynesia, Norfolk Island, Guam, and now The Virgin Islands. He is the former Minister of State for External Affairs of the US Virgin Islands Government, as well as a member of its former Political Status Commission and Advisor to its Fifth Constitutional Convention. He was the founding Secretary General of the Inter-Virgin Islands Conference and its successor Inter-Virgin Islands Council. Dr. Corbin has served as international advisor to the Premier of Bermuda, the Prime Minister of Curacao and the President of French Polynesia, respectively; He has been the UNDP constitutional advisor to the Anguilla Constitutional and Electoral Reform Committee; international advisor to the USVI Fifth Constitutional Convention; and UNDP Expert to United Nations Special Missions to Bermuda and the Turks & Caicos Islands, respectively.

He has served as a visiting lecturer in Global Affairs in the University of the Virgin Islands Institute for Future Global Leaders, and Visiting Lecturer in Dependency Governance Studies at the University of Guam where he introduced the Dependency Governance academic curriculum. He lectures globally, and writes extensively on dependency governance studies, and is the author of three books and numerous scholarly articles in the fields of para-diplomacy and external affairs.