Connected Caribbean Summit 2024 Hosts Seek to Translate Talk into Development Action
Regional leaders are assembling at the Connected Caribbean Summit 2024 (CCS 2024) in Miami from December 9 to 12, to deliberate on practical strategies to accelerate Caribbean advance from the “status quo to true transformation”.
Lead Convenor of the Summit, Bevil Wooding, told the journalists at the virtual media launch of the Summit that there is an undeniable urgency to address the issues facing our region. “Whether it is rising crime, debilitating traffic, persistently high unemployment, or endemic corruption, the public perception is that there is insufficient corrective action and a shortage of sustainable solutions”, said Wooding.
“The Summit is deliberately focused on addressing not just this perception, but the actual implementation of practical solutions and strategies to overcome these problems”, continued Wooding, a technology pioneer and an internationally recognized advocate for Caribbean development.
Nigel Edwards, Executive Director, Unit Trust Corporation (UTC), the largest asset management company in the region and one of the flagship sponsors of the CCS 2024, spoke on the importance of the gathering to building financial resilience in the Caribbean. “We’ve been investing heavily in entrepreneurship development. We think the Summit is a fantastic way to bring Caribbean-wide visibility to some of the emerging investable companies that will be of interest to all, including some of the larger asset managers in the region. The Connected Caribbean Summit will help us to spread our wealth creation mandate for financial empowerment across the region”, noted Edwards.
Petipha Lewis, the Chair of CARICHAM, a Network of Caribbean Business Chambers, reiterated the call for regional businesses to work collaboratively. “If we have to thrive in today’s competitive global climate, we will have to work together to build capacity and effect the change we want tomsee,” Lewis said. “We are looking forward to the robust outcomes at CCS 2024.”
Also present at the media launch was Rodney Taylor, the Secretary General of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), who underscored the need for uniform, affordable, and resilient telecommunications for the region. “The inter-Caribbean telecom roaming rates are low as compared to what they were, but we have to work towards eliminating roaming in the Caribbean altogether,” said Taylor. “We are not there yet, but we are getting there and this Summit links government, private sector and civil society together to accelerate positive change for our region”, added the CTU Secretary-General.
This third staging of the Connected Caribbean Summit will cover a wide range of issues ranging from public policy, law enforcement, private sector innovation, artificial intelligence and its impact on the region.
Notably, the Prime Minister of Grenada and current Chair of CARICOM, The Hon. Dickon Mitchell, will officially open the Connected Caribbean Summit, and will speak on the topic: “Accelerated Development – Balancing Political, Policy and Societal Priorities
Regional collaboration will be at the epicenter of CCS2024 with a power packed agenda featuring a mix of keynote presentations, panel discussions, group forums, and working groups. The Apex Academy, a collaborative partner of the Summit, will be staging Masterclasses on Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity, where regional experts will share customized solutions for the attendees at the Summit, as well as for online participants.
Over the four days of the Summit, there will be opportunities for professionals to meet, share ideas, and create strategies for collective technological advancements in the Caribbean region. Focused sessions will delve into building interconnectivity across the region, knowledge sharing on best practices, as well as how AI and digitization can enhance operational efficiencies in Caribbean courts and the regional justice sector overall.
The Connected Caribbean Summit 2024 will be held at Hilton Miami Airport Blue Lagoon, Miami Florida, USA from December 9 to 12, 2024.
