CAYMAN HOSTS UK AND OVERSEAS TERRITORIES 'SPEAKERS OF PARLIAMENT’ CONFERENCE THIS WEEK

The Cayman Islands is hosting the 2026 Commons and Overseas Territories Speakers’ Conference (COTSC) this week, taking place from Tuesday, 26 May to Saturday, 31 May 2026. The conference, hosted by the Parliament of the Cayman Islands at Hotel Indigo, George Town, brings together Speakers, Clerks, and parliamentary officials from across the British Overseas Territories and the United Kingdom to address pressing issues facing legislatures in the modern era.

The Commons and Overseas Territories Speakers’ Conference is a forum that brings together the Speakers, Clerks and parliamentary officials of the UK House of Commons and the legislatures of the British Overseas Territories. The 2026 conference is being jointly hosted by Speaker Ezzard Miller of the Cayman Islands Parliament and Deputy Speaker Nusrat Ghani of the  UK House of Commons/Parliament.

The agenda features sessions on AI in parliaments, governance reform, supporting effective opposition, constitutional reform, the Speaker’s role as guardian of democracy, and legislative continuity during emergencies. Delegations from Cayman, the UK, Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Falkland Islands, Montserrat, and Turks and Caicos Islands are attending the three-day convention.

Specific discussion areas include “Managing Our Own House: Governance Reform and the Evolving Role of Parliamentary Commissions within the OTs.” The session will examine how legislatures structure their internal governance, ensure independence from the executive, and modernise their management systems. Speakers and Clerks from across the Overseas Territories will compare approaches to parliamentary commissions, self-governance and institutional reform.

Usage of AI and other technology in parliaments will also be a major theme of the conference, with a dedicated session on “AI and the Future of Parliaments: Opportunities, Risks, and Institutional Readiness” scheduled for Wednesday, 27 May.

Technology for an AI-driven Hansard parliamentary records management system developed by Anguilla will be unveiled. The system uses artificial intelligence to convert audio recordings of parliamentary proceedings into fully formatted, searchable Hansard-style transcripts in real time.

The 6th Commons and Overseas Territories Speakers’ Conference (COTSC) will be formally opened with a ceremony at the Cayman Islands House of Parliament on Wednesday, 27 May. In addition to bilateral meetings among the Speakers, a cultural evening has been organised, hosted by Hon. Premier Andre Ebanks at the historic Pedro St James.