I am pleased to give the overview of the 5th Annual Commonwealth Caribbean Association of Integrity Commissions & Anti-Corruption Bodies Conference.

As you are no doubt aware, the Commonwealth Secretariat by means of its convening power established the Commonwealth Caribbean Association of Integrity Commissions & Anti-Corruption Bodies Conference in 2015 to foster genuine partnerships among all Commonwealth Caribbean member states.

I would like to recognise Dame Monica Joseph, the then Chairman and the Commissioners and staff of the Integrity Commission in Grenada, Mr Julian Johnson, the then Chairman of Dominica Integrity Commission who worked with me and introduced me to Dame Monica Joseph for their pioneering roles in welcoming me to the region and Grenada in particular that culminated in the establishment of the Commonwealth Caribbean Association.

I cannot mention the establishment of this Association without recognising with gratitude the strong political will of the Prime Minister Mitchell and the Governor-General of Grenada who inaugurated the Association in May 2015.

The effectiveness of the Association is based on the “ collective ownership” by its members, and the trust and confidence that member countries have in the Commonwealth Secretariat to work on this important agenda for dealing with corruption.

This partnership brokered by the Commonwealth Secretariat has led to the institutionalisation of annual meetings of the Heads of Integrity Commissions and Anti-Corruption Bodies – These annual meetings of Heads of ACBs act as a focal point for the Association, providing a forum for Heads to peer-review each country anti-corruption reports and shared transferable experiences and peer learning. As members, we have traversed through a 5-year journey of developing impactful results. The journey started in 2015 with the Association’s meeting held in Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago in 2016, Jamaica in 2017, Turks and Caicos in 2018. This year the Heads of Integrity Commissions and Anti-Corruption Bodies in Commonwealth Caribbean is meeting here in this beautiful Cayman Islands.

While we acknowledge a positive profile achieved by the Association, challenges persist. Much work that lies ahead of us include the pressing need to address issues such as illicit financial flows, unexplained wealth, etc. Since corruption has international dimension and cross border crimes, we need concerted efforts to address the menace. That’s why this Association meetings have provided practical platforms for members by pooling together the means, experience and resolve to address Anti-Corruption challenges. There is also an urgent call on Governments to strengthen and resource Integrity Commissions and anti-Corruption Bodies to make them fit for purpose to combat complex and sophisticated corrupt practices of the 21^st Century.

In terms of the Conference overview, the conference programme is in for parts – these are the opening ceremony, 3-day technical sessions, sight-seeing and AGM.

The opening ceremony sets the tone for the conference as we receive a welcome message from Mrs. Rosie Whittaker-Myles, Chairman, Commission for Standards in Public Life, Remarks by Mr. Dirk Harrison, Chairman, Commonwealth Caribbean Association of Integrity Commission and Anti-Corruption Bodies, key note address by the special guest of honour, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon. Patricia Scotland, QC and then the opening proclamation of the conference by His Excellency the Governor, Martyn Roper, OBE.

The technical sessions are where the conference business is conducted. These comprise of the country and expert presentations, group discussions and networking during in and out of sessions.

All work and no fun makes Jack a gloomy person, so there will be one day sight-seeing to the Stingray, Sandbar & Rum Point Beach Adventure. I must also mention there will a welcome cocktail and closing dinner.

The AGM is the final part of the Conference where the Heads of ICs and ACBs will issue the conference Communique, select the country to host the next conference, and new Chairperson for the Association.

WHO is this person?

HE IS AFRICAN, AMERICAN, ASIAN, AUSTRALIAN, CARIBBEAN, CANADIAN, CHINESE, EUROPEAN, NORDIC, AND from the PACIFIC …. HE OR SHE CAN BE OF ANY NATIONALITY, CREED OR RACE….HE/SHE IS:-

A PIMP: – Uses other people without any care and sucks the life and spirit out of anyone that can assist him or her in his or her achieving a personal gain or advantage

IGNORANT: he or she has no feeling or care for any other person(s). He/she “ignores” his/her fellow-human being.

MANIPULATIVE: He or she manipulates persons, environments and dynamics for his /her sole advantage

MISANTHROPIC: he or she has to dislike other person…. he or she is the only one that counts.

PARASITIC: he or she “feeds” on other people’s talents, labour and intellect…he or she sucks out the spirit of his/her follow human being.

CONCEITED: he or she believes himself and herself to be superior, smarter than you and I because after all he or she “has found a way to cheat the system”….and that is a high mark of superiority in the mind of this “rogue”!

A HYPOCRITE: – he or she is the ultimate hypocrite who practices hypocrisy- he or she display trust by holding a position of trust well-knowing that he or she practices distrust at the highest end of the scale.

A LIAR: – he or she is a liar….He or she cannot be anything else than practicing corruption….most of all he or she is a liar to himself or herself…

AN OPPORTUNIST: – He or she can “sniff” an opportunity when one presents itself. If no opportunity presents itself, he or she creates one!

GREEDY: – there is no limit to his or her greed- even when he or she has achieved sufficient self-enrichment to everyone’s detriment, he or she wants more….

ARROGANT: – he or she is utterly arrogant….and often incensed at being suspected of corruption…..and displays complete superiority when practicing his or her unlawful acts.

THIS IS THE PERSON WHO CAUSES OVER ONE TRILLION US DOLLARS PER YEAR IN DAMAGE TO SOCIETY BY SUCKING OUT EVERY ECONOMY WHERE HE OR SHE OPERATES….

FOR EVERY ANTI-CORRUPTION FIGHTER- THIS IS THE PHOTO THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE ON YOUR OFFICE NOTICE BOARD…TO REMIND YOU THAT THIS IS THE PERSON YOU MUST STOP…..AND REMEMBER ONCE YOU SUCCEED TO SEND HIM TO CONFINEMENT..HE OR SHE WILL MANAGE TO CORRUPT HIS/HER NEW ENVIRONMENT. This is the UNIVERSAL CORRUPT PERSON…..SO KEEP WATCHING HIM/HER…!!!