Senior politicians from England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and Jersey were hosted by Policy & Resources president Lindsay de Sausmarez to discuss early years and family support.
In attendance was UK chief secretary to the Prime Minister, Darren Jones, who at one point was due to stand against apparent PM-elect Andy Burnham in the race for the top job.
He spoke to media at a press conference at Les Cotils about digital IDs and fires in Northern Ireland, but the subject of the leadership of his party was never raised.
Mr Burnham is now expected to take over as Labour leader next Friday and will become Prime Minister on the following Monday.
Deputy de Sausmarez said the theme of the meeting had many shared challenges.
‘We’ve had really valuable contributions and conversations among all the member administrations of the British-Irish Council,’ she said. ‘It’s been a very valuable, very valuable conversation today. I think there was shared appreciation among all the member administrations of the ability to actually get together and have these conversations.
‘There was a strong theme on the value of connectedness and conversation, especially given the rise in potential fragmentation and increasing polarisation, which we are seeing as a bit of a theme more generally, given the sort of increasing instability geopolitically.’
Also in attendance was Northern Ireland minister for the economy Dr Caoimhe Archibald, Northern Ireland minister for communities Gordon Lyons, Ireland taoiseach Micheal Martin, first minister of Wales Rhun ap Iorwerth, Scotland's deputy first minister Jenny Gilruth and Jersey chief minister Lyndon Farnham.
The lack of senior figures at the event was a mild disappointment and was addressed in the press conference.
The Plaid Cymru leader, who only became Wales’ First Minister in May, was meeting a UK minister for the first time in Guernsey and, aside from the taoiseach, was the only leader of his country present.
‘The Prime Minister isn’t here because we are all aware of what the context is currently. We are aware that there are important elements within the calendar in Northern Ireland, that would affect the ability of a first minister and deputy first minister to be here,’ he said.
‘But we have here senior government leaders, senior ministers from across these islands, emphasising again the importance of us coming together to talk about those areas on which we have common ground.
‘This is a very valuable platform for Wales and for all of us here.’
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