Red Ensign Group (REG) Conference Opening Ceremony
WHO: H.E. the Governor, Mrs. Jane Owen, Premier Hon. G. Wayne Panton, Minister for Financial Services & Commerce Hon. Andre Ebanks, Director of UK Maritime Services at the Maritime & Coastguard Agency Katy Ware, and Chief Executive Officer of the Maritime Authority of the Cayman Islands Joel Walton.
WHERE: The Grand Cayman Marriott Resort, White Sands Ballroom
WHAT: The Opening Ceremony of the 34th Red Ensign Group Conference
PARTICIPANTS: Representatives of the Red Ensign Group territories which include the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies of Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man and the Overseas Territories of Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, St Helena, and the Turks and Caicos Islands. For the first time, there will also be delegates from non-ship registry Overseas Territories of South Georgia & South Sandwich Islands; Ascension; and Tristan Da Cunha.
BACKGROUND: The REG conference began in 1988 as an opportunity for the registrars of the REG to get together to share ideas, harmonise processes and discuss ways forward. Since then it has expanded to cover seafarer welfare and regulatory matters as well as coastal preparedness including search and rescue and pollution response.
Every year it is held at different locations, reflecting the geography of the Red Ensign Group.
Dealing with the challenges of maritime and coastal State responsibilities are coming under the spotlight at the 34th annual REG Conference.
Challenges of the sector include supporting innovation and greener shipping, environmental and coastal concerns, as well as development and expansion of blue economies.
The conference, which oversees and upholds maritime safety standards across the 13 British maritime administrations, is meeting in the Cayman Islands to discuss best practice and to look at ways of improving the performance of the British Registers internationally.
