A critical milestone in preparations for the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) was marked this week, as E.P. Chet Greene, Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Trade and Barbuda Affairs, traveled to London for a formal courtesy meeting with newly seated Commonwealth Secretary-General Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey at the organization’s central headquarters at Marlborough House.
Greene, who also leads Antigua and Barbuda’s national taskforce overseeing the 2026 summit, is currently in the British capital to chair the quadrennial event’s official Preparatory Committee Meetings, running from June 30 to July 3, 2026. Over the course of these talks, representatives from all 56 Commonwealth member states will dive into detailed negotiations on the summit’s Zero Draft Communiqué, as well as refine the core agenda items that will frame the November gathering.
During the bilateral meeting, Botchwey extended a warm welcome to Greene and his delegation, and restated the Commonwealth Secretariat’s full commitment to partnering closely with host nation Antigua and Barbuda to deliver a productive, outcomes-driven summit that delivers tangible value for all member states. The two sides centered their discussions on the imminent preparatory committee sessions and collaborative strategies to craft a meaningful Zero Draft that centers the shared priorities and development aspirations of the bloc’s full membership, spanning small island developing states to large economic powers.
The meeting also served as an opportunity to conduct a full review of ongoing on-the-ground preparations for the November 2026 summit, which will be held in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda. Attendees walked through finalized and in-progress plans for official summit forum programming and cross-cutting logistical arrangements. Greene shared positive updates on accommodation planning, noting that the local accommodations working group is already in active coordination with 37 member states to secure lodging for delegations, a clear indicator of widespread high interest and strong projected participation in the upcoming summit.
Greene was joined on the visit by a senior delegation from Antigua and Barbuda, including Her Excellency Karen-Mae Hill, the country’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom; Chantal Phillip, Minister Counsellor; and Brent Scotland, Second Secretary.
As confirmed by planning documents, the 2026 CHOGM will run from November 1 to 4, 2026 in Antigua and Barbuda, carried out under the official summit theme: “Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth.” The gathering is expected to bring together heads of government from across the bloc to discuss collective action on trade, climate adaptation, sustainable investment, and shared development goals.