Commissioner for the British Indian Ocean Territory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Commissioner for the British Indian Ocean Territory |
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Coat of arms of the British Indian Ocean Territory
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Incumbent
Nishi Dholakia since 16 December 2024 |
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| Appointer | Charles III |
| Term length | At His Majesty's Pleasure |
The Commissioner for the British Indian Ocean Territory is like the main manager or leader for a special area called the British Indian Ocean Territory. This territory belongs to the United Kingdom.
The British monarch, currently Charles III, chooses the Commissioner. They get advice from the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The Commissioner does not live in the territory itself. This is because the territory has no permanent residents of its own. The original people, called the Chagossian people, moved from the islands in the 1970s. The only people living there now are military members from the United States and the United Kingdom. They are at a shared military base on an island called Diego Garcia.
The Commissioner's main job is to manage the territory for the British government. This includes making any necessary laws for the territory. These laws are often special rules or official documents. The Commissioner also works closely with the military of the United States on matters about the territory.
An Administrator of the British Indian Ocean Territory helps the Commissioner with their duties. The Commissioner also picks a representative who lives in the territory. This person is the highest-ranking British military officer at Diego Garcia.
Right now, Nishi Dholakia holds this job. They started on 16 December 2024.
Unlike leaders in other British overseas territories, the Commissioner for the British Indian Ocean Territory does not have their own special flag. This is mainly because they do not live in the territory. They work from offices in London, so they wouldn't be able to fly a flag there.
Who are the Commissioners?
Here is a list of the people who have served as Commissioner for the British Indian Ocean Territory:
- 1965–1967: The Earl of Oxford and Asquith
- 1967–1969: Sir Hugh Selby Norman-Walker
- 1969–1973: Sir Bruce Greatbatch
- 1973–1976: Colin Hamilton Allan
- 1976: Norman Aspin
- 1976–1979: Philip Robert Aked Mansfield
- 1979–1982: John Adam Robson
- 1982–1985: William Nigel Wenban-Smith
- 1985–1988: William Marsden
- 1988–1991: Richard John Smale Edis
- 1991–1994: Thomas George Harris
- 1994–1996: David Ross MacLennan
- 1996–1998: Bruce Harry Dinwiddy
- 1998: Christopher Edward John Wilton
- 1998–2001: Charles John Branford White
- 2001–2004: Alan Edden Huckle
- 2004–2006: Anthony Campbell Crombie
- 2006–2008: Robert Leigh Turner
- 2008–2012: Colin Roberts
- 2012–2016: Dr Peter Richard Hayes
- 2016–2017: John Kittmer
- 2017–2021: Benjamin Robert Merrick
- 2021–2024: Paul Candler
- 2024–present: Nishi Dholakia
See also
In Spanish: Comisionado del Territorio Británico del Océano Índico para niños
