Response by Premier, Honourable Dr. Natalio Wheatley to the

Sixth Quarterly Review of the Implementation of the COI Recommendations at

Press Conference by His Excellency the Governor, Daniel Pruce on – 24 May 2024

Good afternoon to the people of the Virgin Islands!

I wish to take a few minutes to provide a response to the Governor’s Press Conference on the Sixth Quarterly Review of the Implementation of the COI Recommendations under the Framework Agreement between the Government of the Virgin Islands (VI) and the Government of the United Kingdom (UK).

Let me begin by thanking and commending His Excellency the Governor, Daniel Pruce, for presenting a fair, balanced, and factual review and press briefing on the status of the implementation of the COI Recommendations. I endorse the Review and its content, which reflect the work our respective teams have produced. The greater focus given to the delivery of the implementation of the recommendations since the establishment of the Governance Reform Coordination Centre and the onboarding of the Governance Reform Manager is evidenced in the Review.

The shared commitment by the Governor and I to meeting the recommended 31 August 2024 deadline is grounded in enhanced levels of collaboration, coordination, and communication between and among our respective teams and all stakeholders. I am confident that we will achieve the recommended deadline jointly agreed. I am also pleased that we can continue our current working arrangement without additional powers being granted to the Governor. This is a testament to our shared confidence that the joint plan submitted to the Minister for Overseas Territories, Hon. David Rutley, is both realistic and achievable.

Beyond implementing the COI recommendations, we have committed to ongoing reforms based on the COI recommendations and other reforms to ensure the massive changes coming out of the implementation of the recommendations are institutionalised and integrated into the daily workings of the Government of the Virgin Islands.

Beginning immediately, we have stepped up our level of public engagement and communication. We will be keeping the public and media updated on progress through weekly updates on the COI and the Government of the Virgin Islands websites and other platforms

I look forward to a successful review of the implementation of the recommendations in September 2024 and to the significant benefits the implementation of the recommendations and the ongoing governance reforms will provide the Virgin Islands in our quest for greater self-governance and constitutional advancement.