WHO:                                            House Speaker, Dr. the Hon. McKeeva Bush, OBE

WHAT:                                          14^th Regional CPA Youth Parliament

WHEN:                                          Friday, 22 June 2018, 9 am – 12 noon

WHERE:                                       Legislative Assembly

PARTICIPANTS:                          Nineteen debaters from nine regional countries

BACKGROUND:                          This is the first time the Regional Youth Parliament is being held in the Cayman Islands. It is as part of the 43^rd annual conference of the Caribbean, the Americas and the Atlantic Regional of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association taking place this week. The moot, in the form of a government motion, seeks to affirm UK’s Brexit decision.

MOTION:

43^rd Conference of the Caribbean, the Americas and the Atlantic Region

of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association

14^th Regional Youth Parliament

George Town, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

Friday 22^nd June 2018

GOVERNMENT MOTION NO 1 OF 2018

AFFIRMATION OF THE UNITED KINGDOM DECISION TO EXIT THE EUROPEAN UNION

WHEREAS the United Kingdom BREXIT referendum results announced on the morning of 24^th June 2016, showed that 51.9% of those who voted were in favour of the United Kingdom leaving the European Union;

AND WHEREAS on the 29^th day of March 2017, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom in a letter to the President of the European Council, in accordance with article 50(2) of the Treaty on European Union (Treaty of Lisbon), announced the United Kingdoms’ intention to withdraw from the European Union;

AND WHEREAS there is much speculation with regard to what the long-term implications of BREXIT will be for the Commonwealth nations, with many of the Small Island Developing States of the Commonwealth Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic Region finding themselves unable to offer very little assurance to their residents and citizens that their partnership with the other Commonwealth nations, in particular the United Kingdom, will guarantee that their concerns regarding BREXIT will be given equal priority to those of the United Kingdom;

AND WHEREAS the Commonwealth is a global organization of states which share common histories, cultures, values, beliefs and languages and are largely unified as partners who wish to continue to work together to increase the cooperation and global positioning of their member states, and ensuring sustainable economic, social and political development;

AND WHEREAS the Commonwealth Heads of Government meetings provided an opportunity for the Commonwealth to redefine its relationships between member states promoting trade, finance, tourism, agriculture, education and other mutually beneficial partnerships; reinvigorating the Commonwealth and ensuring that talent, goods and capital can move unhindered between Commonwealth nations;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Regional Youth Parliament calls upon the Governments of the States and Territories of the Commonwealth Caribbean, Americas and Atlantic Region to affirm the United Kingdom’s decision to withdraw from the European Union.

Moved by Hon Richard Weber – Hon Premier

Seconded by

Dated this 23^rd day of May 2018

END

IMAGE: FILE -Cayman Islands Youth Parliamentarians in the House March 15, 2018