UCCI picks up gold sponsor as event takes shape

(CNS): The financial sector has handed over a cheque to organisers of the annual UCCI conference on Caribbean values and ethics which takes place at the University College of the Cayman Islands, later this month. The Cayman Islands Compliance Association is now a gold sponsor at the event designed to raise awareness of the potential for corruption and the decline in ethical standards across all the various sectors of society, and the consequent damaging effect on economies and social harmony. The conference will focus on strategies of various regional governments and organisations, public and private, to raise sensitivity to these threats and how to curb and eliminate them.

“We are thrilled to be able to support UCCI in hosting the ethics conference, as it will be of significant relevance to our members,” said President of the Cayman Islands Compliance Association Martin Livingston, noting the alignment of the conference’s goals and those of the Compliance Association.

The UCCI conference opens on 19 March with keynote speaker Dr Huguette Labelle, chair of the board of Transparency International, an organization that rates governments and their business sectors on perceptions of ethics and trust.  Dr. Labelle will be joined for the three-day conference by regional and local heads of states, ministers of government, directors of anti-corruption agencies, and academicians and representatives of various organisations seeking to raise awareness about the need for transparency. They will be sharing ideas on how corruption can be reduced and eliminated from all sectors of communities across the region.

Conference organisers are also holding a number of pre-conference workshops before the main event which opens at 5 pm, on Wednesday, 19 March.

The Compliance Association represents a cross section of compliance and risk professionals in the Islands’ financial services industries, including bankers, fiduciaries, administrators, accountants, lawyers, and other consultants. The role of the Compliance Association is to foster greater commitment to and compliance with the Islands’ regulatory and legal framework governing financial services.

The Association is also participating in the conference, at which representatives will preside over a lunch plenary on Thursday, 20 March. The topic for discussion will be A Blueprint for the Ethical Functioning of the Financial Services. It is anticipated this will reflect the strict rules governing the financial services of the Cayman Islands, and offer a model for the region to the many persons attending from across the Caribbean.

Since the Compliance Association’s founding in 2000, members have engaged in a number of community-related efforts. These include hosting member seminars and training courses, sponsorships in the region of CI$10 to 15,000 annually, as well as a number of annual scholarships granted to Caymanians wishing to progress their careers in compliance and risk management. Other projects sponsored have included a financial services section in the ICCI (International College of the Cayman Islands) library and sponsoring United World Colleges (UWC) candidates.

President Martin Livingston also lectures at UCCI (University College of the Cayman Islands) on financial services regulation. To register for the conference, go to UCCIconference.ky and see various flyers below detail the conference events.