Creating a British Overseas Territories section

Proposer
andrewdwilliams
State

Accepted

Vote Score

3

Age

3068 days


andrewdwilliams

@andrewdwilliams - over 8 years ago

Created a British Overseas Territories section, putting the stuff on BIOT in the section. I also added a little bit on Montserrat and the Sovereign Base Areas.

@andrewdwilliams edited manifesto/foreign_policy.md - over 8 years ago

title: Foreign Policy

layout: policy published: true


  • table of contents {:toc}

What policies should we adopt in our relations with other countries?

Internationalist Stance

We believe that a clear view of the role that the UN, EU, NATO and other international bodies play in reducing the likelihood of war should be clearly and unambiguosly communicated to the electorate.

The UK should also use it's membership of such bodies to influence them to reinforce this role and use this peaceful approach whenever possible to avoid conflict.

The UK should also use its membership of such bodies to influence them to reinforce this role and use this peaceful approach whenever possible to avoid conflict.

Foreign Aid

We will maintain the UK's committment to the UN Millennium Project agreement of allocating 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI) to Overseas Development Assistance. These funds will be kept separate from military spending; any required security, demobilisation, or peacekeeping expenses will be seperately funded, from Defence budgets.

European Union

We will remain a part of the EU, and we will campaign for:

  • Major reform or removal of the Common Agricultural Policy, to operate in harmony with the natural environment and remove market distortions.
  • Britain to remain outside of the Eurozone.
  • Reform of fishing policy and quotas, reducing waste and allowing fish stocks to recover for the long term future of EU fisheries.
  • Reform of the Emissions Trading Scheme (see Environment for more details).
  • Increased democratic control of EU institutions, with improved accountability and transparency.
  • A reduction in bureaucracy and inefficiency.
  • A reduction in bureaucracy and inefficiency, e.g. making Brussels the permanent home of the EU and abolish the Strasbourg Parliament.

Arms Trading

The UK should join many other countries around the world, as well as the UN, and officially recognise Palestine as a sovereign state. This is in line with our existing national preference for a two-state solution to the Israel/Palestine conflict in accordance with international law.

Use our financial status for ethical ends

We should use our significant financial position within the global economy to help us achieve our ethical foreign policy goals. We should impose financial and trade restrictions against states who pursue aggressive or expansionist policies against their neighbours, or anti-democratic or oppressive policies against their own citizens.

British Overseas Territories

Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia

Grant British citizenship to the 67 residents of Richmond Village, Akrotiri.[^2]

British Indian Ocean Territory

The UK should repatriate fully the natives of the Chagos Archipelago that were evicted illegally by the British government between 1967 and 1973. All descendants of those originally evicted should be given the option to return. A referendum should then be held from those that choose to return to decide what to do with Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia which is currently based on the islands.

The UK should revoke the Chagos Marine Protected Area (MPA) as it was founded under the auspices of a legitimate environmental project, when it was later revealed to be a plot to keep the Chagossians off the islands. The Chagos MPA was declared illegal by the Permanent Court of Arbitration on 18 March 2015, as it is a breach of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

De-listing of the PKK

We recognise that the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) has turned to peaceful means to secure rights for the Kurdish people[^3]. We also note the PKK's leadership in resisting the brutality of the ISIS forces in the Middle East. We therefore wish to delist the PKK as a terrorist organisation, and move that the organisation similarly be de-listed at EU and NATO levels.

@andrewdwilliams edited manifesto/foreign_policy.md - over 8 years ago

title: Foreign Policy

layout: policy published: true


  • table of contents {:toc}

What policies should we adopt in our relations with other countries?

Internationalist Stance

We believe that a clear view of the role that the UN, EU, NATO and other international bodies play in reducing the likelihood of war should be clearly and unambiguosly communicated to the electorate.

The UK should also use it's membership of such bodies to influence them to reinforce this role and use this peaceful approach whenever possible to avoid conflict.

The UK should also use its membership of such bodies to influence them to reinforce this role and use this peaceful approach whenever possible to avoid conflict.

Foreign Aid

We will maintain the UK's committment to the UN Millennium Project agreement of allocating 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI) to Overseas Development Assistance. These funds will be kept separate from military spending; any required security, demobilisation, or peacekeeping expenses will be seperately funded, from Defence budgets.

European Union

We will remain a part of the EU, and we will campaign for:

  • Major reform or removal of the Common Agricultural Policy, to operate in harmony with the natural environment and remove market distortions.
  • Britain to remain outside of the Eurozone.
  • Reform of fishing policy and quotas, reducing waste and allowing fish stocks to recover for the long term future of EU fisheries.
  • Reform of the Emissions Trading Scheme (see Environment for more details).
  • Increased democratic control of EU institutions, with improved accountability and transparency.
  • A reduction in bureaucracy and inefficiency.
  • A reduction in bureaucracy and inefficiency, e.g. making Brussels the permanent home of the EU and abolish the Strasbourg Parliament.

Arms Trading

The UK should join many other countries around the world, as well as the UN, and officially recognise Palestine as a sovereign state. This is in line with our existing national preference for a two-state solution to the Israel/Palestine conflict in accordance with international law.

Use our financial status for ethical ends

We should use our significant financial position within the global economy to help us achieve our ethical foreign policy goals. We should impose financial and trade restrictions against states who pursue aggressive or expansionist policies against their neighbours, or anti-democratic or oppressive policies against their own citizens.

British Overseas Territories

British Indian Ocean Territory

The UK should repatriate fully the natives of the Chagos Archipelago that were evicted illegally by the British government between 1967 and 1973. All descendants of those originally evicted should be given the option to return. A referendum should then be held from those that choose to return to decide what to do with Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia which is currently based on the islands.

The UK should revoke the Chagos Marine Protected Area (MPA) as it was founded under the auspices of a legitimate environmental project, when it was later revealed to be a plot to keep the Chagossians off the islands. The Chagos MPA was declared illegal by the Permanent Court of Arbitration on 18 March 2015, as it is a breach of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Montserrat

We will commission a report into how best to help Monterrat recover in the long-term and how better infrastructure can be put in place to cope with future crises and disasters.

Sovereign Base Areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia

We will grant British citizenship to the 67 residents of Richmond Village, Akrotiri.[^2]

De-listing of the PKK

We recognise that the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party) has turned to peaceful means to secure rights for the Kurdish people[^3]. We also note the PKK's leadership in resisting the brutality of the ISIS forces in the Middle East. We therefore wish to delist the PKK as a terrorist organisation, and move that the organisation similarly be de-listed at EU and NATO levels.

Floppy

@Floppy - over 8 years ago

👍

The diff is a bit wrong here, unfortunately not everything is new to this PR. The relevant parts are the sections on BIOT, Montserrat, and Akrotiri.

h2g2bob

@h2g2bob - over 8 years ago

👍 The Chagos Archipelago is a long-running scandal; the other territories I agree need help too.

Floppy

@Floppy - over 8 years ago

This should be OK to merge now...