Minister for Environment and Education, John Cortes, attended the UK Overseas Territories Association’s (UKOTA) Political Council in London in support of Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, as he has done each year for the last 14 years. 

The main item on the agenda was preparation for the Joint Ministerial Council with His Majesty's Government. A number of issues were covered including Education, Climate Change, Security and Health. Minister Cortes is the Chair of the UKOT Environment Ministers’ Council, which last met online on 12th March 2025. 

Executive Director of Gibraltar House in London, Ty Duarte, said: “UKOTA is a forum for the Overseas Territories to share experiences. It comes ahead of the Joint Ministerial Council which also involves the UK’s Europe Minister, Stephen Doughty MP. My role has been to coordinate Gibraltar’s input for the week with the Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office and UKOTA”. 

Minister for Environment and Education, John Cortes, said: “It's useful to be present at these meetings in order to make sure that Gibraltar's voice is heard and that we continue to be a part of the collective of Overseas Territories. It’s been a pleasure to represent Gibraltar in this forum for well over a decade, and the meetings provide an important opportunity to catch up with key players in the OTs network, share our developments and continue to work together towards joint goals to our mutual benefit. 

“I am particularly looking forward to my meeting on a one-to-one with the Minister for Nature Mary Creagh, who is an old friend and I’m confident we will do good work together this week.”