campaigns aboutthenegative effects ofreliance onimported food.Foreign investment andlandalienation should bemonitored through theenactment and enforcement ofrelevant laws. Sheconsidered thatwitheducation andthe co-operation andcommitment oftheinternational community, theself-determination process couldbecome areality. Inconclusion, shecautioned thattheroleof womeninthatprocess mustnotbeoverlooked. Bermuda 37.Mr.C.Walton Brown,Jr.,Chairman oftheCommittee fortheIndependence of Bermuda, considered thatthethreepolitical parties inBermuda haddistanced themselves fromtheindependence question forvarious reasons basedonpolitical expediency. Henotedfurther thatthevitalquestion ofnational sovereignty, an ideasupported bytheleaders ofallthreeparties, hadbeenpushedtothe political backburnerbecause ofthenarrowpolitical interests oftheparties. Hisnon-partisan grouphadbeenfounded todevelop anawareness ofthemeaning of independence forBermuda, acultural awareness andprideinBermuda. Itsoughtto buildanational consensus infavourofindependence andtoguideBermuda to independence. NotingthatmanyBermudians lackedsufficient information tomakea decision aboutindependence, heconsidered thatmanywishedtoaddress current limitations onhumanrightslegislation before moving towards independence, anda largenumber wantedconstitutional changes because theyquestioned theutility of theBritish styleofparliamentary democracy inthecontext ofaracially divided society. 38.Thesocialcomposition inBermuda raisedlegitimate questions aboutthe electoral process inthedecision onindependence. Alargeminority ofthe electorate, composed ofexpatriates fromtheUnited Kingdom ofGreatBritain and Northern Ireland, withparticular attachment toBritain, couldinfluence any decision onindependence and,inessence, constituted aminority veto. Mr.Brown notedthatanyproposal tolimitthatgroup's participation intheprocess would raiseanumberofconstitutional andpolitical issues, andstatedthatadvocates forrestricting votingprivileges tonationals wantedtoavoidhavingthe independence issuedecided uponbyanexpatriate groupfundamentally interested in maintaining British rule. /...A/AC.109/l043 English Page8 39.Heconcluded thatwithinthenextdecade, publicscrutiny ofindependence for Bermuda wouldincrease. TheTerritory hadoneofthehighest percapita incomes in theworld,negligible unemployment, astronginternational financial baseand political stability. Heconsidered thatthoseconditions hadprimedtheTerritory forindependence. Racial unease andthelackofpolitical leadership wouldresult, however, incontinued British colonial ruleforsometime. Heconcluded thatif Bermuda weretogaininternational respect andcontrol overitsowndestinyit wouldeventually havetoseverthecolonial link. British Virgin Islands 40.Mr.RalphT.O'Neal, Deputy ChiefMinister andMinister forNatural Resources andLabour, recalled thataUnitedNations visiting mission hadbeendispatched by theSpecial Committee totheBritish VirginIslands in1977. Hestressed thatthe majority ofthepopulation oftheBritish VirginIslands didnotwant independence. Moreover, theLegislative Council hadadopted amotionstating that nofundamental changes couldbemadetotheConstitution unless approved bya two-thirds majority inareferenduq. Hedeclared that"theBritish VirginIslands willnotbebullied, provoked, coerced orsweet-mouthed intoindependence", He considered thattheSpecial Committee mustfindawaytodealwiththesmallStates whichdonotwishtooptforindependence, HestatedthattheSpecial Committee mustrespect thewishesofthemajority ofthepeople. TheUnited Kingdom, asthe administering Power, hadoftenstatedthatifindependence werethewishofthe people, noobstacle orobstruction wouldbeputinitsway. 41.TheDeputyChiefMinister notedthattheTerritory participated asan associate memberinanumberofregional andinternational organizations. Representatives oftheBritish VirginIslands werealsoincluded inUnited Kingdom
**Analysis**
This text appears to be a collection of speeches or statements from various officials and leaders in Bermuda and the British Virgin Islands, discussing the topic of independence and self-determination. The speakers touch on issues related to governance, political stability, and the role of external powers. While there are mentions of economic and financial aspects, the focus is more on the political and social implications of independence.

**Category**
Economic development, International trade, Education, Culture