- MARCH 2026 -

Visiting the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service.

Briefing by Hazard Management Cayman Islands.

Touring the Cayman Islands Coast Guard facilities.

Dr Al Pinkerton MP onboard a Coast Guard vessel.

The delegation with the Cayman Islands Regiment.

Sarah Champion MP and Hon. Franz Manderson MBE, Deputy Governor and Head of the Civil Service. 

Edward Morello MP meeting Forrest the Blue Iguana.

Briefing by staff at the Blue Iguana Conservation Facility.

The visit provided an important opportunity to strengthen the longstanding relationship between the United Kingdom and the Cayman Islands and offered the delegation the chance to see first-hand Cayman’s work in areas such as environmental protection, border force and financial regulation.

The parliamentarians engaged with a wide range of stakeholders across the Islands. The programme included meetings with government officials and public sector representatives, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service, the Cayman Islands Coast Guard and a hands-on experience onboard their vessels, and briefings from Hazard Management Cayman Islands and the Cayman Islands Regiment on the territory’s climate resilience and disaster preparedness strategies. The delegation also visited key environmental initiatives, including conservation projects in Little Cayman and the Blue Iguana Conservation Facility in Grand Cayman, and held discussions with leaders from the private sector on the Islands’ financial services sector.

From left to right: Mr. J. Kim Evans, Serjeant-at-Arms, Dr Al Pinkerton MP, Baroness Laing, Sarah Champion MP, Lord Brady, Edward Morello MP and Mr. Christopher Clarke, Parliamentary Page. 

The delegation with Deputy Governor, The Honourable Franz Manderson, MBE, Cert. Hon., JP and HE Governor Mrs Jane Owen

The delegation arriving at the House of Parliament. 

The programme showcased several areas in which the Cayman Islands continues to demonstrate leadership. Members observed marine conservation efforts in North Sound, Grand Cayman, where protected marine park zones safeguard important ecosystems such as seagrass beds, mangroves and coral reefs. Briefings also outlined how the Islands are strengthening resilience in response to climate change, reflecting their position on the frontline of environmental challenges. Discussions with industry representatives further underscored the jurisdiction’s reputation as a well-regulated and internationally respected financial services centre.

During the visit, the delegation toured the Cayman Islands Parliament and met with Cayman Islands Government Ministers and members of the opposition, providing an opportunity for open discussion on shared priorities and the Cayman Islands’ relationship with the United Kingdom. The programme also included a reception at Government House, hosted by the Governor, where the visiting parliamentarians engaged with MPs, senior civil servants and members of the wider public service.

Sarah Champion MP with Hon. Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, MP, Minister for Health, Environment & Sustainability,

in Little Cayman. 

Premier of the Cayman Islands the Hon. André Ebanks MP with Sarah Champion MP. 

Commenting on the visit, Premier and Minister for Financial Services and Commerce, the Hon. André Ebanks MP, said:

"We are tremendously pleased with the outcomes of this visit.

It was meaningful for the UK parliamentarians to experience the Cayman

Islands themselves, engaging with our officials and also with members of our

wider community."

The Premier added that Government will build on the momentum generated by the visit as it continues to collaborate closely with the UK to advance shared priorities.

CAYMAN ISLANDS HOSTS LANDMARK UK SANCTIONS FORUM

The Cayman Islands became the first British Overseas Territory to co-host the UK FCDO Sanctions Forum, welcoming a record 131 delegates from the UK, Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories.
 
The three-day Forum (3rd - 5th March) brought together senior officials to address sanctions implementation and enforcement, intelligence sharing, trade measures, and emerging risks including cryptocurrency and proliferation financing. Sessions also explored priorities for the UK’s upcoming Financial Action Task Force (FATF) presidency, with contributions from international partners including the US Office of Foreign Assets Control.
 
Opening the Forum, Her Excellency the Governor Mrs. Jane Owen and The Honourable André Ebanks, MP, Premier and Minister for Financial Services and Commerce, underscored the importance of coordinated, effective sanctions regimes in protecting the integrity of the international financial system and maintaining global security and prosperity.
 
The Forum reinforced Cayman’s role as a leading and committed partner in the global sanctions architecture, with overwhelmingly positive feedback from delegates.

COMMONWEALTH DAY

The Cayman Islands was represented at a series of events in Westminster marking Commonwealth Day.

The Cayman Islands Government Representative to the UK, Dr Tasha Ebanks Garcia, attended the Commonwealth Day Flag-Raising Ceremony at Portcullis House in the House of Commons. She was joined by the Hon. Nickolas T.A. DaCosta, JP, MP, Cayman Islands Minister for District Administration and Home Affairs, and Roy Tatum MP, Member of the Official Opposition. The ceremony brought together parliamentarians and representatives from across the Commonwealth of Nations to recognise the longstanding partnership between its 56 independent and equal member states, representing a global community of 2.7 billion people.

This year’s theme, “Unlocking opportunities together for a prosperous Commonwealth”, highlighted the value of collaboration in creating equitable, transformative and high-impact opportunities across the Commonwealth family.

Later that afternoon, Dr Ebanks Garcia also attended the Commonwealth Day Service of Celebration at Westminster Abbey. The service is the principal annual public event marking Commonwealth Day and celebrates the Commonwealth’s shared heritage, values and cultural ties through readings, reflections and musical performances.

The service is traditionally attended by King Charles III, Head of the Commonwealth, and Queen Camilla, alongside members of the Royal Family, senior political leaders from the UK and across the Commonwealth, diplomatic representatives and members of the wider Commonwealth community, including schoolchildren from across the United Kingdom.

This year’s event reflected the spirit of partnership that defines the modern Commonwealth, with performances celebrating the diversity of its five regions and the cooperation that continues to unite its member countries.