On June 17, Minister of State for the Overseas Territories Stephen Doughty met with Cayman Islands Premier André Ebanks in London to discuss key areas of collaboration and UK support for the Cayman Islands Government’s priorities following their recent elections.
Their wide-ranging talks covered environment, security, financial services, and sanctions. Minister Doughty praised the Cayman Islands’ commitment to preserving its pristine marine environment and expressed gratitude for Cayman’s assistance to other Overseas Territories during crises, most recently in Anguilla. Both governments reaffirmed their partnership on environmental protection initiatives, including the UK-funded Darwin Initiative and the Blue Belt Programme.
The two leaders also emphasized their shared commitment to tackling illicit finance and sanctions evasion. Minister Doughty recognized the Cayman Islands as a world leader in “high quality, modern and resilient financial services,” highlighting Cayman’s pivotal role in enforcing UK sanctions, including the freezing of over $9 billion in Russia-linked assets.
Minister Doughty welcomed Cayman’s steps to increase corporate transparency, notably the launch in February 2025 of a beneficial ownership register accessible to individuals with legitimate interest, such as accredited journalists, researchers, and certain civil society members. He also applauded Premier Ebanks’ pledge to enhance the register further by streamlining processes for multiple search requests and reviewing associated fees.
Both leaders agreed to advance cooperation through reciprocal information sharing among competent authorities, including law enforcement, with plans to review these changes in the coming weeks. This aligns with parameters for beneficial ownership registers agreed upon between Overseas Territory leaders and the UK Government at the Joint Ministerial Council in November 2024.
Premier Ebanks and Minister Doughty expressed their desire to deepen the modern UK-Cayman Islands partnership and looked forward to Minister Doughty’s visit to the Cayman Islands scheduled for September 2025. Minister Doughty reaffirmed the UK government’s firm commitment to the sovereignty, security, and defence of the Overseas Territories.
