Dart Cayman Islands has announced it will host the second One Young World International Summit, a global conference which will take place at the Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa, Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman from 16-18 November 2016.

This year’s summit welcomed some 1,300 young leaders as well as global figures including Kofi Annan, former Secretary-General of the United Nations; Sir Bob Geldof, activist and philanthropist; Professor Muhammad Yunus; Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever; Ron Garan, former NASA astronaut; Fatima Bhutto, author and activist; Steve Waugh, former Australian cricket captain; and Lord Michael Hastings, Global Head of Citizenship, KPMG International.

“Our vision is to have the world to recognize the Cayman Islands as a global centre of excellence and innovation,” said Mark VanDevelde, CEO of Dart Enterprises and Dart (Realty) Cayman Ltd. “Actively recruiting and sponsoring prestigious conferences such as the One Young World Summit on Sustainable Finance helps us accomplish three shared goals — first, it provides an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our young future leaders to interact with peers from around the globe right here at home; secondly, it creates compelling reasons for people around the world to learn more about and experience the Cayman Islands and thirdly, a conference of 500+ visiting international delegates has a substantial impact across our tourism economy” VanDevelde added.

The One Young World Sustainable Finance Summit will gather 500 young leaders at the Kimpton Seafire Resort + Spa, providing a platform to discuss the ways in which young people can drive financial policy and ensure that governments and businesses take action to create more sustainable business markets.

As the world’s fifth largest financial centre, the Cayman Islands provides an ideal location for delegates to convene and consider the role that young people can play in innovating sustainable finance solutions. Delegates will have the opportunity to interact with members of local government and analyse the financial regulation system in the Cayman Islands, formulating meaningful discussion on what constitutes good regulation in the 21st Century.

Having been affected by Hurricane Ivan, the Cayman Islands are also an appropriate venue to demonstrate the impact of climate shocks on the economy and for delegates to consider the importance of protecting the environment in order to achieve financial sustainability.

Ella Robertson, Managing Director of One Young World International, commented:

“This generation of young leaders has been uniquely challenged by the global financial crisis, which has resulted in a worldwide problem with youth unemployment. The Cayman Islands have one of the most transparent financial systems in the world and will be the ideal host for discussions to find sustainable finance solutions.

“Following on from our sixth summit – our biggest yet and our first in Asia – 2016 is the optimal time for us to extend our reach and deliver new, more in-depth events for young leaders.”

Chris Duggan, Vice President, Community Development at Dart Cayman Islands, commented:

“Dart Cayman Islands is delighted to be partnering with One Young World International to bring the first-ever One Young World Sustainable Finance Summit to the Cayman Islands. We look forward to welcoming young people from around the world to Grand Cayman to participate in meaningful discussion and to hear from world leaders and finance experts enabling them to return home equipped to make a tangible difference in their communities and throughout the world.”