The Tribune

PRIME Minister Perry Christie will be speaking tomorrow at the RBC Royal Bank sponsored international conference in the Cayman Islands, entitled Toward a Corruption-Free Caribbean: Ethics, Values, Trust and Morality.

The conference, which is hosted by the University College of the Cayman Islands (UCCI), features presentations from political leaders and world-renowned experts. RBC Royal Bank is the featured sponsor of his presentation, which will be delivered at the plenary session on Thursday, March 20.

“RBC has a long history of partnership with the Bahamian government and with the communities where we do business,” said Mr Nathaniel Beneby, managing director of RBC Royal Bank in the Bahamas, Cayman and Turks and Caicos.

“Our organisation adheres to the highest ethical standards and operates with strong governance. We are proud to be partnering with UCCI to bring this conference to the Caribbean. It supports our commitment to foster economic development and collaborate on solutions for our region’s most difficult challenges.”

Michael A Munnings, country head and area vice-president for RBC Royal Bank in the Cayman Islands, will introduce Prime Minister Christie and serve as chair for his conference session.

“At RBC, we believe it is critical for business leaders to work together with government officials and community leaders to eliminate corruption, create an environment of fair trade for economic growth and educate clients on their rights and opportunities,” said Mr Munnings, who originates from the Bahamas.

Other speakers at the UCCI conference include Dr Huguette Labelle, chair of the Board of Transparency International, an organisation that works in more than 100 countries in the fight against corruption; Dr Ralph Everard Gonsalves, Prime Minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, who will reflect on the state of corruption in the Caribbean as a whole; and Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Minister of Finance of Nigeria and former Vice President of the World Bank, who will share lessons for the Caribbean based on the Nigerian experience.

In all, more than 100 experts will share their perspectives during presentations and panel discussions.

“Through our support of this conference, we hope to make a difference in the long-term success of the Caribbean region,” said Mr Beneby. “At RBC, we help shape the economies of our communities through our activities as a provider of financial services, as an employer, a taxpayer and a purchaser of goods and services. We are also focused on education – both the education we provide to clients, as well as our support of higher education, such as UCCI and the College of the Bahamas. This event supports all of these goals.”