Anguilla hosts major regional AI convention

The Anguilla House of Assembly, in collaboration with the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications, Utilities, Housing, Information Technology and e-Government Services (MICUHITES), recently co-hosted the Caribbean AI Workshop. The event is being reviewed as a landmark regional gathering on artificial intelligence and digital transformation delivered in partnership with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and UNESCO, with the support of ParlAmericas.

The session brought together parliamentarians from across the Caribbean and the United Kingdom. Participating jurisdictions included Anguilla, Sint Maarten, Barbados, Belize, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, the Turks and Caicos Islands, and the United Kingdom Parliament, alongside engagement with international partners including UNESCO, CPA UK, and the UK Parliament.

Discussions addressed a wide range of issues, including the application of AI in parliamentary work, national and institutional AI readiness, ethical governance frameworks, cybersecurity risks, misinformation, data governance, and regional and international cooperation. The programme also emphasised the shared challenges and opportunities facing small island developing states in navigating digital transformation.

Speaker of the Anguilla House of Assembly, Tara Carter, said: “This workshop demonstrates that small jurisdictions can drive big innovations. We were honoured to welcome our regional and international partners to Anguilla, and we hope to establish this gathering as an annual event, creating a lasting platform for the Caribbean to shape, rather than simply respond to, the future of this transformative technology.”

Over four days from June 21st to 24th, delegates also engaged in a comprehensive programme combining expert-led sessions, peer learning, and practical exercises.

MILESTONE MOMENTS

A significant milestone on the margins of the Conference was a bilateral meeting between Speaker Tara Carter and The Honourable Sarah Wescot Williams, Speaker of the Parliament of Sint Maarten. As an outcome of this engagement, the Parliaments of Anguilla and Sint Maarten have expressed their intention to develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to deepen cooperation. The proposed agreement will focus on knowledge sharing, cross-border parliamentary training, and youth exchanges between their respective Youth Parliaments. This initiative would mark the first formal collaboration of its kind between the two legislatures.

Another key feature of the workshop was the presentation of UNESCO’s Truth Yard, a rapid-response fact-checking and data verification initiative launched last year in Jamaica ?? in the aftermath of Hurricane Melissa. The initiative sought to counter post-disaster misinformation and fake donation scams.

UNESCO’s Caribbean unit presented the AI Readiness Assessment Methodology (RAM) as well as the UNESCO AI Policy Roadmap, highlighting ethical AI, governance frameworks, and regulatory approaches.

“Together, we’re advancing responsible AI governance and building a more informed, resilient Caribbean,” a UNESCO statement said.