World Free Zones Organization's 12th World Congress
The Hon. Jason P. Hayward, Minister of Economy and Labour, attended the World Free Zones Organization's 12th World Congress, held in Panama City, Panama.
Transparency in ministerial travel — destinations, dates, and costs
The Hon. Jason P. Hayward, Minister of Economy and Labour, attended the World Free Zones Organization's 12th World Congress, held in Panama City, Panama.
The 2026 Conference of Overseas Territories Attorneys General, hosted by the Attorney General of the Virgin Islands, Hon. Dawn J. Smith, brought together Attorneys General and senior law officers from across the Overseas Territories from 13 to 17 April. The United Kingdom Attorney General, the Rt. Hon. Lord Hermer KC, participated virtually. The Attorneys General were joined by colleagues from the United Kingdom, Crown Dependencies and the United States of America. Discussions were held under the theme "Stronger Together: Common Challenges, Collaborative Solutions. The Conference reaffirmed the importance of this forum in strengthening collaboration on shared legal, constitutional and governance challenges and solutions. Delegates reflected on the increasingly complex, interconnected and fast‑moving nature of these issues, agreeing that effective responses require co-operation grounded in mutual respect and shared democratic values.
The Hon Owen K. Darrell, JP MP, Minister of Tourism & Transport, Culture & Sport attended the Seatrade Cruise Global 2026 expo in Miami, Florida. The Minister was accompanied by the Deputy Permanent Secretary and the head of Transport Planning Unit. The Minister and his delegation strengthened industry relations and gained useful insight regarding global cruise tourism. Cruise line meetings included executives from Royal Caribbean Group, Carnival Corporation, Disney Cruise Line and Explora Journeys Cruise Line. Additionally, the team met with stakeholders from the Port of Baltimore and the Maryland Port Administration; the NYC Economic Development Corporation; and Taipei Economic and Cultural Office and Tiawan International Ports Corporation.
The Hon Owen K Darrell, JP MP, Minister of Tourism & Transport, Culture & Sport attended the 53rd CARIFTA Games in St. George, Grenada. The CARIFTA Games remain the premier regional showcase for junior athletic talent in the Caribbean and Minister Darrell was proud to support the Track and Field delegation competing in Grenada.
The Premier and Minister of Finance, the Hon. E. David Burt, JP, MP, led a Bermuda delegation to Davos, Switzerland, from 19–23 January to participate in the 56th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), held under the theme "A Spirit of Dialogue." This year's meeting convened nearly 3,000 leaders from government, business, civil society and academia, including a record 65 heads of state and government and a majority of G7 leaders. While in Davos, the Premier participated in several panels and sessions, including "Frontiers of Digital Governance: From DPI to Next-Gen GovTech", "Stablecoin Adoption for Humanitarian Action", "Insurability in a Changing World", and "Insurance & Asset Management Leadership." He also spoke at a Global Blockchain Business Council event on the future of financial infrastructure and participated in a further WEF session on best practices in digital governance. The Premier held bilateral meetings with policymakers and leaders in global finance and technology to advance Bermuda's strategic objectives in digital finance and innovation. He discussed the responsible growth of digital finance with Brian Armstrong, Co-Founder and CEO of Coinbase, and participated in a session with Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area. The Premier also attended an insurance leaders lunch with senior executives from leading global firms including Marsh, Swiss Re, AXA, State Farm, Franklin Templeton, Aon, and Allianz. During the forum, the Premier announced plans to expand Bermuda's partnership with Coinbase and Circle to embed digital assets across the national economy and a new collaboration with the Filecoin Foundation and the Internet Archive to create a secure, long-term digital preservation system for Bermuda's public records. The Premier's participation highlighted Bermuda's leadership as a globally respected, regulated hub for digital assets and reinforced the Government's commitment to ensuring that technological innovation delivers tangible benefits for Bermudians.
The Premier, the Hon. David Burt, JP, MP, attended the 50th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in St. Kitts and Nevis from 24–27 February 2026, accompanied by the Minister of Home Affairs, the Hon. Alexa Lightbourne, JP, MP. This milestone gathering marked 50 years of the Caribbean Community and was the first held under the chairmanship of Dr. the Hon. Terrance Drew, Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis. The Premier participated in the full agenda of meetings, with discussions focused on enhanced regional cooperation, security coordination, economic diversification, and the strengthening of intra-regional trade. Bermuda's ongoing process toward full CARICOM membership was also a key topic of discussion. On the sidelines of the conference, the Premier conducted a series of bilateral engagements with Overseas Territories Leaders. Bermuda currently holds Associate Member status within CARICOM and continues to deepen its engagement with CARICOM institutions and member states. The Premier's attendance at the 50th Heads of Government Meeting follows his participation at the 49th Meeting, reinforcing Bermuda's commitment to sustained engagement at the highest level of regional decision-making. Prior to travelling to St. Kitts and Nevis, the Premier attended NEARCON 2026 in San Francisco, where he was invited to lead a session titled "The 'Bermuda Triangle' Approach to Innovation and AI as the Next Regulatory Frontier," exploring how Bermuda's model of collaboration between government, regulator, and industry can be applied to emerging regulatory frameworks for artificial intelligence in financial services. While in San Francisco, the Premier also held meetings with executives from digital asset and AI companies. The Premier returned to Bermuda on 27 February and joined MPs in the House of Assembly for the General Economic Debate.
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