Up Front
Governor off to London/Miami
His Excellency the Governor Mr. PeterSmith
His Excellency the Governor, Mr. Peter Smithleft Cayman on Saturday, November 25 for a round of top-levelmeetings in London, including attending the annual Cayman IslandsGovernment reception and visiting the Cayman Government's Londonoffices.
On his return journey, he will make a stop in Miami for the two-dayannual mini-conference of Caribbean Overseas Territories (OT)Governors, returning to Cayman on the night of Tuesday, December5.
Mr. John White, head of the Overseas Territories Department ofthe Foreign and Commonwealth Office, will accompany the Governorback to Cayman. Mr. White will undertake an official tour duringhis four-day visit and will return to the UK on the night of December9.
The itinerary for this visit is to be released separately.
While in London, the Governor will meet with the Treasury Departmentand will hold discussions with the House of Commons "All-PartyGroup." He will also visit the House of Lords, where he willmeet with Baroness Patricia Scotland and Lord Wallace, the LiberalDemocrat Foreign Affairs spokesman.
Among topics on the Governor's agenda at the Treasury will bethe FATF (Financial Action Task Force), the OECD, the MLAT (MutualLegal Assistance Treaty) and the recent KPMG report.
The Governor said that he will assure the Treasury that the newlysworn-in government will continue dialogue on these topics "withinthe framework already established and with the objective of securingwithin that framework the best interest of the Cayman Islandsas an international financial centre."
The House of Commons All-Party Group, whose members Mr. Ian Bruce,host of the group, and Ms. Cheryl Gillian visited Cayman lastyear, maintains an interest in Cayman. The Governor will briefthe group comprising some 10 to 12 parliamentarians on developmentshere.
The annual Cayman Islands Government reception will be hostedfor the first time by newly appointed Cayman Islands London Representative,Mrs. Jennifer Dilbert. The Governor will be taking the opportunityto introduce Mrs. Dilbert, to support the office's new emphasesand foci, such as greater pro-activity and more press contacts,and to promote the opportunities presented by a new governmentback home.
"I am very pleased about the timing of the trip to the UK,"the Governor said. While dictated by the fixed date of the annualreception, its timing so soon after the swearing of a new government"can do a lot of good. I am very pleased."
The Governor said that he was also delighted that the head ofthe Overseas Territories Department would be travelling back withhim, affording an opportunity to meet the new players.
His overseas tour will conclude with the governors mini-conferencein Miami, which comes mid-way between the annual "All GovernorsConferences," the most recent having been held in May 2000in London.
Attended by the five Caribbean Overseas Territories governors,the mini-conference will focus on some of the specific concernsof regional OT governors. These will include the White Paper,constitutional review, follow-up to the KPMG Report, and financialcrime/drugs.
Other topics will include aviation and security, general law andorder and related issues, and good governance and the use of theGood Government Fund, from which the National Drug Council's website was recently underwritten.