A partnership between Bermuda and Britain to create a child advocacy alliance ensuring best-practice litigation for young people in British Overseas Territories was outlined in Parliament.

Tinée Furbert, the Minister of Youth, Social Development and Seniors, provided an update on Friday when she shared that the British Foreign Office had commissioned Anthony Douglas, consultant on safeguarding, to steer the building of the Atlantic Child Advocacy Alliance with her ministry on behalf of the Bermuda Government.

The Foreign Office has funded the consultancy from July through March next year, Ms Furbert said.

“Both the UK and Bermuda governments will work collaboratively to develop the Atlantic Child Advocacy Alliance for child advocacy services,” she added.

“This alliance will pool expertise from Bermuda and the Southern Ocean British Overseas Territories, namely the Falkland Islands, St Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha.

“This will be a reciprocal arrangement that aims to address the technical needs of each territory by facilitating the sharing of knowledge and expertise regarding litigation guardian services within a structured framework.

“The partnership builds upon the past three years of technical support provided to Bermuda by the FCDO, which was instrumental in shaping and strengthening Bermuda's litigation guardian services, and culminated in the establishment of an official Office of the Litigation Guardian in March 2024.

“Over the past three years, joint efforts among the FCDO, the Government of Bermuda, the Bermuda court system and other stakeholders have been solution-oriented, focusing on developing innovative approaches to enhance the understanding of the litigation guardian service.

“This collaboration has also promoted greater co-operation among all stakeholders to ensure that the best interests of the child are prioritised.”

She said the alliance will facilitate formal best-practice training in litigation guardian services across the North Atlantic and South Atlantic regions, enhancing cross-jurisdictional capabilities.

As part of the alliance programme, there will be virtual training sessions for six months for all Overseas Territories. These began in September and will continue until February 2026.

The first training module focused on identifying and intervening on behalf of children and young people experiencing neglect.

In February, Ms Furbert will be presenting the final Litigation Guardian Practice Guidance for Bermuda, which the consultant is working with her ministry to develop.

She will also share information about other initiatives that have been embedded in the litigation guardian programme to strengthen and support the services of the Office of the Litigation Guardian.

Before the launch of the litigation guardian programme, providing children involved in court proceedings with an independent advocate, the Government had resisted paying for them.

Disclosures under public access to information have shown that many children under the care of the Department of Child and Family Services have not had the benefit of legal representation.

The Royal Gazette reported in January 2024 that of 12 youngsters in care sent to overseas institutions since 2021, only two received legal representation before the decision to send them abroad was made.

As reported in 2018, nearly 50 children were sent to overseas institutions in the previous five years without their wishes being heard by the courts.

Ms Furbert said Bermuda had made “significant strides” to ensure a sustainable, high-quality litigation guardian service in the long term, key actions including the development of Litigation Guardian Practice Guidance and the strengthening of relationships with the judiciary.

Ms Furbert described the alliance as an “exciting and progressive” initiative that emphasised child safeguarding as an “overriding priority”.

In September, the Government of Bermuda and the Foreign Office entered a formal agreement through a letter of intent. This formalised the intention to closely collaborate on improving child advocacy services in British Overseas Territories across the North Atlantic and South Atlantic.

The letter was officially signed by Stephen Doughty, the Minister of State for British Overseas Territories, on behalf of the Foreign Office and British Government, committing to facilitate the foundation of the alliance.

Ms Furbert said the work being done is a testament to the Government’s vision and commitment to safeguarding children.

“Bermuda stands as a model of excellence for British Overseas Territories throughout the Atlantic region, demonstrating what can be accomplished when commitment and collaboration align in pursuit of the best interests of our children,” she said.

“Through formal partnership, shared expertise and a structured approach to training and best practices, this initiative will strengthen child advocacy and litigation guardian services throughout the Atlantic region.

“By pooling resources, delivering targeted training and fostering reciprocal support, the alliance aims to ensure that every territory benefits from enhanced capability and co-operation, ultimately prioritising the best interests of children no matter where they reside.”