Britain has no hidden agenda on Independence for its colonies, a UK government official said in Anguilla this week.

The assurance was given to more than 60 delegates at the annual summit meeting of the United Nations' Special Committee on Decolonisation which opened Tuesday.

“There is no hidden agenda or wish to hold on to the territories that wanted to, or were able to, go their own way,” said Roy Osborne, deputy head of Britain's Overseas Territories Department. Mr. Osborne made the comments, a frequently repeated policy statement, at the opening of the three day conference and added that Britain would also support those that wanted to remain as colonies, according to an Associated Press report.

There has been a move toward more autonomy among some of Britain's colonies. The United Nations decolonisation Committee is charged with advancing the decolonisation process and has declared 2001 - 2010 the second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism.

There are 16 colonies, or countries governed by another nation, left in the world, including Montserrat, the Cayman Islands, US Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos, Western Sahara, St. Helena, Tokelau, American Samoa, Bermuda, Anguilla the British Virgin Islands, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Guam, New Caldonia, Pitcairn and Anguilla.

It is not known if the Bermuda Government is represented at the conference.