British overseas territory diplomacy

Foreign affairs in the British Overseas Territories are handled by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London. Some overseas territories send diplomats to neighboring countries to deal with trade and immigration issues. Some overseas territories of the United States are also members of regional organizations, including the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States, the Caribbean Community, the Caribbean Development Bank, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency and the Association of Caribbean States. Overseas Territories become members of the Commonwealth through their relationship with Britain. Overseas territories with permanent residents participated in the Commonwealth Games in their respective regional capacities, and teams from three overseas territories (Bermuda, Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands) participated in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.

Gibraltar is the only overseas territory that has joined the European Union (EU), but it has not joined the customs union or joined the EU as Gibraltar. All other British overseas territories are not part of the EU, and most EU laws are not applicable to these areas-although some overseas territories, as part of the OCT Association, are applicable to a small number of EU laws, EU laws are usually not enforced by local courts. EU overseas countries and territories also provide structural funds for renewable energy projects in overseas territories.

With Britain re-granting full British citizenship to the "belongers" of most overseas territories (mainly due to the adoption of the British Overseas Territories Act in 2002), citizens of these overseas territories have also obtained European Union citizenship, giving them the right to move freely in all EU countries.