At the Medays 2025 Forum in Morocco, Antiguan Prime Minister Gaston Browne delivered a dire assessment of the global condition, declaring the world is perilously close to catastrophic failure. He characterized the current era as one of extreme volatility in modern history, fueled by a convergence of multiple systemic threats.
The head of government for Antigua and Barbuda detailed a multifaceted crisis driven by escalating geopolitical conflicts, severe climate-related disasters, widespread food insecurity, rapid digital disruption, unsustainable national debt levels, and the persistent socioeconomic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. Browne emphasized that for small island nations, these are not abstract concerns but concrete obstacles that severely limit their capacity for strategic planning, economic investment, and citizen protection.
Browne issued an urgent call for enhanced multilateral collaboration, asserting that no single nation possesses the resources to withstand these compounding cycles of instability independently. Alongside his warnings, the Prime Minister highlighted significant legal advancements for vulnerable states, particularly referencing Antigua and Barbuda’s leadership role in the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law (COSIS).
He pointed to a landmark advisory opinion secured by COSIS that establishes a critical legal precedent: nations causing marine environmental damage through greenhouse gas emissions are in breach of their international legal obligations. This opinion, Browne noted, substantially strengthens the legal standing of all countries whose populations and economies face existential threats from climate change.
The Caribbean leader delivered a severe condemnation of major polluters, accusing wealthy nations of profiting from fossil fuel industries while developing states endure the devastating consequences. Browne cautioned that continued failure to reduce emissions would ultimately “imperil human civilization” and implored major emitting countries to implement immediate, decisive measures to preserve the possibility of limiting global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.