U.K. to donate $1Million for I.C.J. Referendum Campaign

Peter Hughes

The U.S. and others have come out in support of the education campaign, providing either technical or financial support to the process that will cost the country millions of dollars. Hughes says that the U.K. is going to provide one million dollars for the education campaign. We note, however, that as it relates to financing, thirty-five percent goes to the United Nation Development Programme to administer the funds.

Peter Hughes, British High Commissioner

“From our perspective we just want this process to be as good as it can be and for as many Belizeans to go out and vote in April of next year because that’s important. It is their future; it is the future of every Belizean that is going to be decided. And that is why we in the U.K. are about to contribute over a million Belize dollars to the information campaign so that people have access to the understanding that they need.   At the higher level people do fully understand the process and they understand what is involved. But others in the wider community, no I don’t think so and that is why we want to do as much as we can to support the process of informing. This is not a matter of the U.K. saying you must vote yes. But a matter of the U.K. saying you must have access to the information that you need to make a vote based on your conscience and your understanding of what is going on.”

Hughes tenure as British High Commissioner in Belize comes to an end in September, as he official leaves the country on October first.