Dear Colleagues,

Greetings from the Cayman Islands !

On behalf of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, I wish to welcome colleagues from North America and the Caribbean as well as members of the IAP global community to attend the 7thIAP Regional Conference in the Cayman Islands this November.

It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the Cayman Islands for this important regional conference on “Emerging Crime Trends in the Caribbean: Closer Collaboration and Mutual Legal Assistance.”

As practitioners across North America and the Caribbean, we gather at a critical moment. Transnational crime is fast evolving, more complex and increasingly interconnected. From the rise in cyber-enabled fraud and financial crime to illicit firearms trafficking and gang-related violence, our region is experiencing a spectrum of criminal threats that knows no borders.

In recent years, we have witnessed coordinated smuggling operations stretching from Central America through the Caribbean and into North America : fraudulent investment schemes exploiting our shared financial systems and cybercrime syndicates using offshore platforms as vehicles for laundering illicit gains. These are not challenges that any one nation should face alone.

The Cayman Islands, renowned for its robust legal framework and commitment to transparency, stands ready to be both a partner and a hub for stronger regional cooperation. Our institutions are evolving to respond to emerging threats with agility and resolve —whether through digital forensics, anti-money laundering initiatives, or judicial capacity-building. But we know that success depends not only on our internal strengths, but on the strength of our partnerships.

This conference is an opportunity to deepen those partnerships. It will be a space to share experiences and knowledge, strengthen networks of trust and enhance our mutual legal assistance frameworks so that they are fit for purpose in the 21st century. Whether it's executing timely extradition requests, tracing assets across jurisdictions or jointly tackling new criminal typologies, the path forward lies in closer collaboration.

The Office of the DPP in the Cayman Islands is proud to host this gathering of minds and expertise. We hope that it will generate not only insight, but also actionable outcomes that support safer, more resilient societies throughout our region.

On behalf of the host country, I look forward to showing you the beauty of our country and extending the warm friendship (‘Cayman Kind’) that we have to offer when we meet in Grand Cayman.

Sincerely,

Simon Davis
Director of Public Prosecutions