The Minister for External Relations, Deputy Philip Ozouf, has today presented the new Common Policy for External Relations (CPER) to the States Assembly, following agreement from the Council of Ministers last week.
The new CPER will serve as the framework in which the Government of Jersey, spearheaded by the Minister for External Relations, will conduct itself on the international stage. The new CPER is an evolution of the original Common Policy, which was first presented in 2012 and then refreshed in 2015.
Following the in-committee States Assembly debate on the 22 September, where Members were asked for their input on the work of External Relations - and how the Island should position itself as an engaged, agile, and responsible international actor - the Minister for External Relations collated feedback and fed it into the development of the Policy that has now been approved by the Council of Ministers.
The Minister for External Relations said:
“Firstly, I am grateful for the input from States Members during our debate on 22 September, which has helped guide the development of our new Common Policy for External Relations.
“This policy has now been approved by the Council of Ministers and will act as the framework for our engagement with partners in the U.K., Europe, and around the world.
“It reflects an agreed desire between this Council of Ministers and the Assembly for Jersey to continue to act as an outward-facing, agile and internationally engaged jurisdiction. It is evident that there are several key areas in which our efforts will be heavily focused, such as the preservation and development of our relations with France. This is the first time the Common Policy has been refreshed since the UK’s departure from the European Union, and as such reflects both the new challenges and opportunities that lay ahead of us.
“This document is now available publicly, on both the External Relations and States Assembly webpages for those members of the public who wish to read it".
Government of Jersey News Release