Diplomatic momentum is building for the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), as Antigua and Barbuda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Immigration, the Honourable E.P. Chet Greene, convenes the summit’s official Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) at London’s historic Marlborough House. Running from June 30 to July 3, 2026, the four-day gathering brings together senior delegates from across the 56-nation Commonwealth bloc to hammer out final frameworks for the 28th CHOGM, which Antigua and Barbuda will host in its capital St. John’s from November 1 to 4, 2026 under the unifying theme: “Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth.”
Opening the session, Greene extended a formal welcome to all heads of delegation and representatives on behalf of Antigua and Barbuda, the incoming Commonwealth Chair-in-Office and 2026 summit host. He paid tribute to Commonwealth Secretary-General the Honourable Shirley Botchwey for her steady leadership of the organization, and expressed sincere gratitude to Samoa, the outgoing Chair-in-Office and host of the previous CHOGM, for its ongoing guidance and support throughout the pre-summit process.
“As host, Antigua and Barbuda looks forward to welcoming you all to St. John’s in November, and we are determined that this PrepCom lay the strongest possible foundation for a successful CHOGM,” Greene stated in his opening address.
The PrepCom session stands as a critical milestone on the path to the November summit, creating a structured space for member states to collaborate on drafting the final summit communiqué and advance consensus on the bloc’s core priority issues. These pressing topics span democratic governance, climate change resilience, development finance, expanded cross-bloc trade and investment, digital equity for marginalized communities, reparatory justice for historical harms, and collective shared prosperity across the Commonwealth.
Greene pressed delegates to work toward an ambitious, action-focused outcome from the preparatory talks, echoing the collective call from Commonwealth heads of government for the 2026 summit to deliver more than symbolic statements. “We need not just declarations, but decisions that make a tangible difference” to people’s lives across the bloc, he emphasized.
As part of the PrepCom proceedings, Her Excellency Karen-Mae Hill, Antigua and Barbuda’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, presented a comprehensive progress update on the host nation’s preparations for the November summit. She outlined the logistical, security and programmatic arrangements that are being developed in close coordination with the Commonwealth Secretariat to ensure a smooth, productive gathering.
Closing his remarks, Greene reaffirmed Antigua and Barbuda’s unwavering commitment to collaborating closely with all member states and the Commonwealth Secretariat to deliver a successful, impactful summit that delivers meaningful progress for the entire bloc. The Antigua and Barbuda delegation to PrepCom also included Minister Counsellor Chantal Phillip, Second Secretary Brent Scotland, and Third Secretary Caleb Gardiner.