Caricom nations have told the United Nations that they want to accelerate the process of decolonisation in 16 self-governing territories around the world — including Bermuda.

A BBC website reported yesterday that Dominica's UN ambassador Crispin Gregoire delivered the Caricom position in a speech in New York.

Earlier this year Premier Ewart Brown ruled out putting Independence on the forthcoming election platform although he still supports autonomy from Britain as a political goal.

Reacting to the Caricom stance last night, Dr. Brown told The Royal Gazette: "We are always pleased when our neighbours wish statehood for us.

"Their best wishes for us are never seen as 'interference', but rather as a burning desire to see all of the world's people achieve political self-determination.

"Having said that, we are fully aware that the decision to move to independence is one for the Bermudian people.

"When this Government thinks the time is right, we are prepared to ask our people to make that decision."

Mr. Gregoire said, with three years to the end of the UN's second decade of decolonisation, it was time for the political status of the 16 self-governing territories to be defined.

"The UN states categorically that a measure of full determination involves political independence, free association with independence states or integration with an independent state.

"Those 16 territories are yet to have any of these three options conferred on them by the administering powers," he said.

Mr. Gregoire said the Caribbean faces some challenges in this matter.

"If you look at the last set of countries that became independent in the eastern Caribbean, prior to independence, the British allowed them what was called associated statehood — preparing for independence or a precursor to becoming independent.

"What the British government has now stated is that they are not willing to allow that any more.

"Let us assume that the population do not want to go for political independence, they remain in the status quo as a colony.

"They don't have internal self-government."

The ambassador sited as examples the territories of Bermuda, British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos.

"The British Governor has de facto veto over the legislature and that is not an acceptable political status," he said.

All eastern Caribbean nations serve on the UN decolonisation committee.