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
21st
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…!!!