Two United Kingdom-administered territories have expanded their participation in international organisations in furtherance of the development process of these dependent territories. At the thirty-second session of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) held in the Dominican Republic, the Cayman Islands was admitted as the ninth associate member of ECLAC on 13th June 2008. A year ago, the Turks and Caicos Islands was admitted as an associate member of ECLAC, one of the five regional economic commissions of the United Nations.
ECLAC, and its counterpart Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific(ESCAP), provide associate membership for non-independent countries in their respective terms of reference. With the admission of the Cayman Islands, ECLAC now has nine associate members. Other UK-administered territories with associate membership in ECLAC include the Turks and Caicos, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands and Montserrat. The associated countries of the Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles, along with the United States dependent territories of Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands are also associate members of ECLAC. Bermuda is expected to join ECLAC in 2009.
There are also nine members of ESCAP.
Associate Member Date of Admission
1. American Samoa 28 July 1988
2. Cook Islands 11 July 1972
3. French Polynesia 31 July 1992
4. Guam 24 July 1981
5. Hong Kong, China**** 25 November 1947
6. Macao, China ***** 26 July 1991
7. New Caledonia 31 July 1992
8. Niue 3 August 1979
9. Northern Mariana Islands 22 July 1986
The text of the ECLAC resolution admitting the Cayman Islands as an associate member follows:
Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
Thirty-Second Session
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
9-13 June 2008
ADMISSION OF THE CAYMAN ISLANDS AS AN ASSOCIATE MEMBER OF THE ECONOMIC COMMISSION FOR LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN
Resolution
The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean,
Recalling that paragraph 3(a) of the terms of reference of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean states that “Any territory, or part or group thereof, may on presentation of its application to the Commission by the member responsible for the international relations of such territory, part or group of territories, be eligible for admission by the Commission as an associate member of the Commission,”
Recognizing that the Cayman Islands enjoys close economic, cultural and social ties with the rest of the region and that it is committed to strengthening these links wherever possible,
Aware also that associate membership in the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean will make a considerable contribution to the effort to achieve this goal,
Welcoming the request made by the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland that the Cayman Islands should be granted associate membership in the Commission,
Decides that the Cayman Islands shall be admitted as an associate member of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean.
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Several months prior, the Turks and Caicos Islands was also admitted to the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC), a subsidiary body of ECLAC comprising the wider Caribbean region. It was unclear why the CDCC resolution included reference to 1997 resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly and of the Economic and Social Council as part of the legislative authority, when more updated resolutions as recent as 2007 on the same subject were available.
The text of the CDCC resolution admitting the Turks and Caicos Islands as an associate member follows:
Twenty-Second Session of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee (CDCC) LC/CAR/L.169
Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago
22-23 April 2008
RESOLUTION 69 (XXII)
ADMISSION OF THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AS AN ASSOCIATE MEMBER OF THE CARIBBEAN DEVELOPMENT AND COOPERATION COMMITTEE (CDCC)
Ministers and Heads of Delegations participating at the twenty-second session of the
CDCC,
Considering the desirability that the economic, social and cultural relations among all peoples in the Caribbean area should be strengthened;
Bearing in mind the Constituent Declaration and Functions and Rules of Procedure of the Caribbean Development and Cooperation Committee;
Aware that the Turks and Caicos Islands was admitted as an associate member of ECLAC by resolution 628(XXXI) at its thirty-first session held in Montevideo, Uruguay, from 20 to 24 March 2006; and that this issue was subsequently brought to the attention of and endorsed by the Economic and Social Council as an integral part of the Biennial Report of ECLAC (3 July 2004 to 24 March 2006) (ECOSOC Official Records, 2006, Supplement No. 20) (E/2006/20) (LC/G.2317-P);
Noting that the Turks and Caicos Islands also participates as an associate member of the OECS, and is a member of the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB);
Taking into account United Nations General Assembly resolution 52/73 of 10 December
1997 which, inter alia, requests the specialized agencies and other organizations of the United Nations system, as well as regional organizations, to strengthen existing measures of support and formulate appropriate programmes of assistance to the remaining non-self-governing territories, within the framework of their respective mandates, in order to accelerate progress in the economic and social sectors of those territories;
Also taking into account United Nations General Assembly resolution 52/77 of 10
December 1997 which, inter alia, called on member States, organizations and United Nations agencies to continue to assist the Territory in social and economic development;
Cognizant that the Economic and Social Council in resolution 1997/66 of 25 July 1997
endorsed, inter alia, the participation of appointed and elected representatives of non-self governing territories in the relevant meetings and conferences of the agencies and organizations so that territories may benefit from the related activities of the United Nations system;
Welcome the participation of the Turks and Caicos Islands in the works of this Committee and for the first time in its biennial Meeting as an ECLAC/CDCC associate member.
Adopted 23rd April 2008
